Bodh Gaya, Bihar — His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Bodhgaya the afternoon of December 28th to conduct the 34th Kalachakra Initiation, one of the largest Buddhist ceremony scheduled to begin on January 2nd.
On his arrival at the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna, His Holiness was received by the Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar, in addition to the hundreds of Tibetan Buddhists and foreigners who flooded the streets to welcome the spiritual leader.
The morning after his arrival, His Holiness visited the Mahabodhi Temple, the seat of Lord Buddha’s enlightenment to offer prayers.
His Holiness was accompanied by Chair of the 34th Kalachakra Organising Committee, Kalon Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok of Department of Religion and Culture, Kalon Phagpa Tsering Labrang, Department of Security and other representatives of the Central Tibetan Administration.
Devotees from all around India and world lined up the streets leading to the holy site of Mahabodhi temple to greet His Holiness.
The Mahabodhi Mahavihara is revered as the holiest place of Buddhist pilgrimage in the world. It is among the 84,000 shrines built by King Ashoka in the 3rd century BC.
