(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) The 14th Dalai Lama arrived in Ladakh on Saturday, and he is likely to stay in the cold desert for nearly a month.

During his stay in Ladakh, the Tibetan spiritual leader will reside at the Shiwa Tsel Phodrang in Leh.

This visit has sparked a wave of happiness and enthusiasm in Ladakh, and elaborate preparations have been made by the Ladakh administration.

Upon his arrival, His Holiness was received with ceremonial honours and warm greetings by representatives of several religious and cultural outfits.

This is his first visit to Ladakh in the last two years, and security arrangements were heightened, ensuring a smooth and safe reception.

He arrived in Ladakh on an Indian Air Force Aircraft and was accorded Z+ security.

On June 6, the spiritual leader celebrated his 90th birthday and called for "achieving peace of mind through cultivating a good heart and by being compassionate."

Many in Ladakh consider the Dalai Lama their spiritual guru, and his month-long stay is likely to include a series of public teachings and private engagements.

The Dalai Lama's last visit to Ladakh was in 2023, and his visit to Ladakh in July 2024 was cancelled due to knee surgery in the US.

His visit comes at a critical time when there are talks of appointing his successor, and his office has clarified that“No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” in a veiled attack on China.

This statement reflects a clear defiance of China's communist party, which views that it is its authority to choose the next Dalai Lama.

Notably, the Dalai Lama's relations with India go back to the late 1950s when China invaded and took control over the autonomous region of Tibet in 1950.

After a failed uprising in the late 1950s, China threatened to arrest the Dalai Lama, who then, along with other monks and religious leaders, came to India and later established his office in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

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