Celebrations in Majnu-ka-tilla as Dalai Lama turns 83

As the Dalai Lama turns 83, Majnu-ka-tilla, the quaint Tibetan locality, also known as the mini-Tibet here, rang in the spiritual leader's birthday on Friday by thanking India for its support.

The Tibetan Children Village school in the colony, decorated with Tibetan and Indian flags, was host to a cultural event organised by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

The event saw traditional dance performances including 'Chol Kha Sum' and 'Tum Chen Kampa', complemented with Tibetan delicacies like sweet rice and butter tea.

Lauding the struggles and hardships of the Tibetan community to establish themselves in a foreign country, Member of Parliament Udit Raj said they had mixed so well with the locals here that they had "become Indians".

However, he said they had not "asked for" enough land for their community in the past, and offered to support them if they decided to raise the concern in future.

"Somewhere or the other you were at fault. When you came to India, there was a lot of land in Delhi, and you should have asked for larger land for your settlement.

"You can do that even today. Your children will grow up, your families will expand...there is still a lot of land in Delhi. You start the process, I will support you," Raj, who is a Buddhist, said.

The event was organised as part of a larger initiative "Thank You India" that began on March 31 this year to mark the beginning of the 60th year since the Dalai Lama set foot in India.

The pan-India initiative that aims to publicly express the gratitude of Tibetans to the government and people of India, features an event every month to promote their rich ancient culture and unique identity.