Dharamshala — His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama attended a long-life prayer ceremony organised by "the Dhotoe Cholkha Welfare Society" and the Lodrik Welfare Association at the main Tibetan temple (Thekchen Choeling Tsuglakhang) in Dharamsala on April 22, 2026. Around 5,000 of devotees, including Tibetans, gathered at the temple to pray for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, nobel laureate and the spiritual leader of Tibet.
Upon His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s arrival at the entrance to the main Tibetan temple, representatives from "the Dhotoe Cholkha Welfare Society" and the Lodrik Welfare Association welcomed him and then escorted him inside the temple. Tibetan artists from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) performed the Tashi Shölpa dance to welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness smiled and waved to the approximately 5,000 people gathered in the temple to receive his blessings and pray for his long life.
On this occasion, the longevity ritual was based on the practice of the “White Tara of the Wish-fulfilling Wheel,” originally composed by the Fifth Dalai Lama. The abbot of Namgyal Monastery, Khensur Lobsang Samten, presided over the ceremony. He began by performing prostrations and presenting His Holiness with a silk scarf. Seated to his right were Keutsang Rinpoche, former abbot of Ganden Jangtsé Monastery, and the Lobpön of Namgyal Monastery, while to his left were the abbot and former abbot of Dzongkha Chödé Monastery. Standing behind them was Bodong Panchen Rinpoche.
A mandala was offered in supplication requesting His Holiness to live long for the benefit of sentient beings and the Buddha’s teaching. The presiding Lama then offered a statue of White Tara representing the body of enlightenment, a scripture representing enlightened speech and a stupa representing the enlightened mind.
The members of the groups then lined up in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s throne to present him with offerings. A thanksgiving mandala was presented to His Holiness in gratitude for his having agreed to live long.
President of the Long Life Prayer Committee of the Lodrik Social Welfare Association stated that 275 members had traveled to Dharamsala to offer long life prayers to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We are very happy to have been able to offer a long life prayer to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We also have many people among us who are over 80 years old and who were able to offer this prayer to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and receive his blessings; I am proud and happy about this.
President of the Prayer Committee for the Long Life of the Dhotoe Cholkha Welfare Society stated that this was a very good opportunity to pray for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We have 180 members from various regions of India who traveled to Dharamsala to offer this prayer, and we are very pleased to have been able to successfully carry out this ceremony.
