Dharamshala

Celebrations are underway ahead of the 90th birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

The occasion is being marked with festive spirit and devotion by Tibetan communities and followers across the region. According to the Gregorian calendar, the official birthday is on the 6th of July.

On July 2, the Dalai Lama stated that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a foundation established by him, can only recognise future reincarnations, and no one else has the authority to decide on the matter. This statement rules out any say for China in the process of naming the next Dalai Lama.

In a statement on Wednesday, Dalai Lama stated, "The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognized has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement which states that responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition."

"I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter, he added.

The Dalai Lama recalled making a statement on whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue during a meeting of the heads of Tibetan spiritual traditions on September 24, 2011.

On July 4, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju asserted that the choice of the Dalai Lama's successor should rest solely with the spiritual leader himself, reflecting the belief of his followers worldwide amid China's recent statement on the matter.

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"I am a devotee of the Dalai Lama. Anybody in the world who follows the Dalai Lama wants his successor to be chosen by the Dalai Lama himself," Rijiju said.