Prayers mark 73rd birthday of Dalai Lama

DHARAMSALA:  Prayers for long life marked the 73rd birthday celebrations of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama here on Sunday.
     
People from different walks of lives offered prayers for his long life at the official function organised at the Tibetan main temple om McLeodganj here.
     
It was attended by all ministers of the Tibetan government-in-exile and Prime Minister Prof Samdhong Rinpoche.
     
Speaker of the exile Parliament Karma Choephel and Congress MLA from Arunachal Pradesh T G Rompuche were also present.
     
The Tibetan temporal head did not attend the function, his secretary and spokesman Tenzin Takhla said.
     
He said the function was organised in a simple manner in view of those who suffered during recent protests for homeland in Lhasa and other provinces of Tibet.
     
For the same reason, cultural functions, which are part of celebrations every year, have been cancelled.
     
Tenzin Gyatso, who is the 14th and current Dalai Lama, was born on July 6, 1935 in Qinghai. He was fifth of 16 children born to a farming family in Taktser village in Qinghai province of Tibet, sources in the exile government said.
     
He was proclaimed the 'Tulku' (rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama two years after he was born. On November 17, 1950, he was enthroned as Tibet's 14th Dalai Lama at the age of 15 years.