Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India - This morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama returned to Dharamsala at the end of his journey from New York, where for the last two months he has received medical treatment for his knees. After a stopover in Zurich he continued on to Delhi, where yesterday he took a day’s rest.
Today, the weather was favourable for the Dharamsala flight, which took off on time and landed almost half-an-hour early. As is customary, His Holiness was met at Gaggal airport by Sikyong Penpa Tsering and Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament Ven. Khenpo Sonam Tenphel. Also assembled to welcome him were local representatives of various faith traditions—Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism—and sundry well-wishers. His Holiness greeted them warmly.
Large numbers of Tibetans gathered to welcome His Holiness at Civil Lines, on the Hari Koti corner, outside the Men-tsee-khang, by the gate to Gangchen Kyishong and on the road below and beside the Tsuglagkhang—the Main Tibetan Temple. Monks and nuns wore their yellow Dharma robes, while laypeople were dressed in their best clothes. Many of them had white silk scarves and glowing incense in their hands and their faces were full of joy. His Holiness waved and smiled cheerfully at them as he passed.
Three groups of Tashi Shölpa dancers sang and danced energetically at the airport, at the gate to Gangchen Kyishong and close by the Tsuglagkhang.
Former Kalöns, Secretaries and senior officials of the Central Tibetan Administration gathered around the gate to His Holiness’s residence, saluting him as his car passed. One of them remarked that there was a general feeling that this morning Dharamsala had come back to life.
