The 90-year-old Dalai Lama will travel to New Delhi for treatment on his left knee; his office released no surgical details. After recovery he plans an extended stay in Ladakh, a Himalayan region with many Tibetan monasteries. The Nobel laureate, who fled Tibet in 1959 and lives in exile in Dharamsala, has reduced international travel due to age-related health issues. China dismissed his remarks about reincarnation and insists it controls the succession process.
Dalai Lama, 90, Heads to New Delhi for Knee Treatment — Plans Extended Stay in Ladakh
Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetans, gesturing during his farewell words. (is associated with: «Dalai Lama, 90, to receive knee treatment») Marijan Murat/dpa
The Dalai Lama, aged 90, will travel from his exile residence in northern India to New Delhi to undergo treatment on his left knee, his office announced on Thursday.
No details of the procedure were released. Officials said only that after recovery he plans to spend an extended period in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.
Health and Public Life
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has faced a series of age-related health issues in recent years, prompting concern among followers worldwide. Once a frequent international traveler who preached reconciliation and peace, he has gradually scaled back overseas engagements because of his advancing age and health concerns.
Background and Context
Born in Tibet, the Dalai Lama fled in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and has lived in exile in the hill town of Dharamsala, India, ever since. Ladakh, which borders China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, is home to many ancient monasteries and a sizeable Tibetan Buddhist population — and is where his office says he intends to spend time recuperating.
Last year he said he hoped to live to 130 and reaffirmed his intention to reincarnate in line with Tibetan Buddhist tradition. China rejected that remark, insisting it has the authority to determine his successor.
His office provided no timetable for the treatment or recovery, and it is unclear whether the visit to New Delhi will involve surgery or a less invasive procedure. Supporters and observers are watching closely given his advanced age and symbolic importance to Tibetan Buddhists worldwide.
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