PM Modi greets Dalai Lama on 91st birthday, calls his message of peace a ‘guiding force’ for world

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended warm greetings to the 14th Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 91st birthday, praising his enduring dedication to global peace and harmony.

The Prime Minister conveyed his wishes in a post on X, highlighting the universal resonance of the Tibetan spiritual leader’s teachings and his profound moral influence on the international stage.

“Warm birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His message of peace and harmony has been a guiding force for people across the world. His moral and spiritual strength and his commitment to global good are commendable. Wishing him a long and healthy life,” PM Modi stated.

Warm birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His message of peace and harmony has been a guiding force for people across the world. His moral and spiritual strength and his commitment to global good are commendable. Wishing him a long and healthy life.@DalaiLama

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2026

Concurrently, Tibetan Buddhist monks-in-exile and residents gathered early in the morning at the Dorje Drak Monastery in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, to offer special prayers and participate in religious rituals dedicating the day to the longevity and global message of their spiritual leader.

#WATCH | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: Tibetan Buddhist monks offer prayers on the 91st birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama in Shimla.

(Visuals from Dorje Drak Monastery, officially known as Thupten Dorjidak Aewam Chokgar Nyingmapa Institute) pic.twitter.com/7PLi8qvfNa

— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2026

This worldwide reverence traces back to his early life in Tibet. Born to a small farming family in Takster on July 6, 1935, he was originally named Lhamo Thondup, which literally means “Wish-Fulfilling Goddess”, according to the Dalai Lama’s website.

At the age of two, he was recognised as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama and was brought to Lhasa in October 1939 before being formally installed as the head of the State of Tibet on February 22, 1940. Named Tenzin Gyatso at the age of six, he officially assumed full temporal leadership of Tibet on November 17, 1950, in a ceremony held at the Norbulingka Palace.

However, his leadership took a dramatic turn in March 1959 when, following the suppression of the Tibetan National Uprising, the spiritual leader was forced to escape into exile in India along with more than 80,000 refugees. More than six decades after he first entered exile, the anniversary serves as an enduring symbol of the broader struggle over faith, identity, and legitimacy. This remains a complex geopolitical and cultural challenge that Beijing has still failed to solve.

This event, organised systematically every year by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), remains a major draw for followers worldwide. Highlighting his physical absence from the main public stage this year, his office stated that he travelled to Delhi in early June to undergo a left knee replacement operation, which preceded his scheduled stay in the Ladakh region during the summer.

The celebrations also follow closely on the heels of last year’s initiatives, which were highlighted by the launch of the “Year of Compassion” campaign by the CTA. That initiative focused heavily on environmental and cultural preservation through widespread tree-planting campaigns and the promotion of the Tibetan language, ensuring that his legacy remains active even during his recovery. (ANI)