Tibetan in exiles celebrate 'Guru Purnima' in Dharamsala

Dharamsala, July 18 : Scores of Tibetan exiles, gathered in Dharamsala on Friday to offer prayers to Lord Buddha and their religious leader Dalai Lama on the occasion of 'Guru Purnima', a festival dedicated to one's spiritual guru.

'Guru Purnima' is an annual festival predominantly observed by the Hindus and Buddhists, coinciding with the full moon day.

The Tibetans exiles gathered at the Buddhist temple in Dharamsala and prayed for the well being of their leader Dalai Lama and also for the well being of all Tibetans around the world.

"The 'purnima', 'Sevajoha' as it is called, and we come to temple and we pray for his holiness (Dalai Lama) and for the Tibetan people and also for the people all over the world. Today is a special day, today being Friday and 'purnima', so two good occasions are there today," said Sonam, a Tibetan exile.

The Dalai Lama has lived in Dharamsala with thousands of his followers ever since he fled to India following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

About 134,000 Tibetans live in exile, the vast majority in India or Nepal, and of them less than half were born in their homeland.

The Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent campaign to gain autonomy for his homeland, says he wants greater autonomy, not independence, for his homeland, but China considers him a separatist.

ANI