Hyderabad,Dec 18:Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama who met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Friday afternoon thanked the Indian government for its support to Tibetans in the country.Conveying his best wishes to the Chief Minister, the Dalai Lama praised the efforts of Indians towards peace and harmony in the world.Talking to newsmen here,he said the Government has been of immense help to Tibetans in the last 50 years.
The government has also helped in spreading education among Tibetan children in various settlements across the country.Earlier, the Buddhist leader was accorded a grand reception at Hotel Grand Kakatiya by the local Tibetans in the morning after he arrived at the Shamsabad airport.The Dalai Lama’s tour programme has been kept a closely guarded secret from mediapersons.However,he is expected to go to Karnataka on a two-day visit and is scheduled to unveil a statue of Buddha at the Siddhartha Buddha on the outskirts of Gulbarga on Saturday. The Siddhartha Buddha Vihar was inaugurated by President Pratibhaji Patil in January last.
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to deliver a spiritual discourse for a select audience at the Buddha Vihar.According to Buddha Vihar Trust member Radhakrishna, 6,000 invitees would be allowed to participate in the closed door discourse.“On the specific instructions from the Dalai Lama only invitees interested to listen to the discourse should be invited. The trust has issued passes only to those who made specific request for the same,” Radhakrishna told newsmen at Gulbarga.