(TibetanReview.net, Sep15’22) – Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, HH the Dalai Lama, is to visit India’s northeastern, Tibet-border state of Sikkim late next month on an invitation from its Chief Minister, reported the PTI news agency Sep 14.
The invitation was stated to have been delivered by the state’s Ecclesiastical Department Minister, Ven Sonam Lama, when he called on the 1989 Nobel Peace laureate at the latter’s exile home at Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, on Sep 14, joined by the department’s secretary Passang D Phempu.
The Dalai Lama accepted the invitation and expressed his keen desire to visit Sikkim, which he said is always dear to him, the report cited the minister as saying.
And Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) has said, “I am joyful that His Holiness accepted the invitation to visit our state. His benign presence will be a great privilege for the devotees to seek his blessings”.
The minister has said the visit will be for five days, from Oct 28 to Nov 1, 2022.
The Dalai Lama previously said, on Sep 7, during a long-life offering ceremony in Dharamsala, that he would visit Mön Tawang again soon. The birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama is part of India’s border state of Arunachal Pradesh which China claims is part of southern Tibet and therefore its territory.
A group from Mon Tawang was present as a part of the long-life offering ceremony. There is no announcement yet when this visit will take place.
China previously criticized visits to the state not only by the Dalai Lama but also by top Indian leaders as well.