Buddhist monks offer special prayers on birthday of spiritual leader Dalai Lama

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 6 (ANI): On the occasion of the 89th birthday of Buddhist spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibet Monastery in Shimla echoed with special prayers and the air smelt of roses as Buddhist monks offered prayers in front of the statue of Lord Buddha located here.
Buddhist monks and devotees celebrated the birthday of Dalai Lama by cutting a 25-pound cake. In a special puja, Buddhist monks prayed for the long life of the Dalai Lama.

Speaking to ANI, a Buddhist monk said that on the occasion of Dalai Lama's birthday, they woke up early and offered prayers at 5:30am. He further said that they performed cake cutting ceremony and prayed for his long life.

He said, "On the occasion of birthday of Dalai Lama, we woke up early and offered prayers at 5:30 am. Cake cutting ceremony has been done. We prayed for his long life so that he may propagate the idea of Buddhism and the noble idea of non-violence in the world."
The Tibetan spiritual leader's birthday was celebrated by his followers at the Kalchakra Monastery in West Bengal's Siliguri.
Dalai Lama's followers said that they would celebrate July 6 as the 'Universal Day of Compassion' to honour the great contributions of the Dalai Lama towards a global mission for peace and harmony among humankind.
Prior to this, the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) unanimously declared July 6 as the 'Universal Day of Compassion' in 2024.The followers of Dalai Lama offered prayers for his long life. They also cut birthday cake and performed cultural celebration.
Special prayers were also offered at the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Bodh Gaya.
The Dalai Lama, renowned globally for his teachings on compassion and peace, is currently recuperating following a successful knee surgery in the United States. The Dalai Lama was discharged from the hospital on June 29. (ANI)