Dalai Lama, the supreme spiritual leader of the Tibetans and a Nobel laureate, will arrive in the state on Friday night. He is arriving as state guest with a busy itinerary for Saturday and Sunday - inauguration of Sivagiri Mutt’s 80th annual pilgrimage season at Varkala on November 24 and to participate in the Catholicate centenary celebrations of the Malankara Orthodox Church at Kochi on November 25.
He will leave for Bangalore on November 27.
Dalai Lama will also attend a few other functions during his stay in the state. He will speak on ‘The Art of Happiness’ at a function in Kochi organised by Friends of Tibet for beneficiaries of the ‘Wellbeing’ Tibetan medical service camp being held in Kochi for the last two years. Noted Tibetan poet and writer Tenzin Tsundue will recite his poems on the occasion.
‘Compassion in Exile’, a French documentary on the life of Dalai Lama, produced by Lemle Pictures, will be dedicated to him during his Kochi schedule.
Friends of Tibet is also organising an exhibition of historic photographs on Tibet and artefacts in connection with the event. Coins and currencies from Tibet, before its annexation, and a radio used by Dalai Lama while he was presiding over the mountainous independent nation will be on display.
Besides Dalai Lama, Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan Philipose Mar Chrysostom, Sivagiri Mutt Dharma Sanghom Trust president Swami Prakashananda, general secretary Swami Rithambharananda and Speaker G Karthikeyan, among others, would participate in the function at Varkala on Saturday. The Tibetan leader is scheduled to give his message for the pilgrimage season at 9.40 am. He will leave for Kochi from Varkala afterwards.
The church function is slated for 3 pm on Sunday.
Security Beefed up
In view of the spiritual leader’s visit, security has been beefed up in locations where he is expected to visit during his brief stay. Lama’s security brigade had visited Sivagiri the other day and reviewed the arrangements.