
24/06/2025
| The 14th Dalai Lama is poised to make a landmark announcement on July 2, just days before his 90th birthday, with strong indications that it will address the deeply anticipated issue of his reincarnation.
According to Penpa Tsering, Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the announcement will coincide with a high-level religious gathering in Dharamshala from July 2 to 4, bringing together senior leaders from the four major Tibetan Buddhist sects—Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Gelug.
The question of the Dalai Lama’s succession carries profound spiritual and geopolitical weight. While revered across the Himalayan region as a spiritual beacon, the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation remains a flashpoint with China, which insists on its authority to appoint the next spiritual leader—a claim the Dalai Lama has repeatedly rejected. In 2011, he declared that any successor would be “born in a free world,” a pointed rebuke to Beijing’s stance.
The announcement will also mark the beginning of a year-long celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, themed the “Year of Compassion,” featuring religious ceremonies, cultural events, and global tributes.
The July 6 birthday celebrations are expected to draw high-profile Indian dignitaries, including a Union minister, several chief ministers, and Members of Parliament. Karnataka, home to the world’s largest Tibetan diaspora, will be prominently represented, reflecting its deep-rooted ties with the Tibetan community.