This morning His Holiness attended a farewell lunch at the Sindhu Ghat, on the banks of the Indus River, near Shey. It was offered by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). Among those present were the elected Councillors headed by the Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), Tashi Gyalson, Union Territory officials, as well as representatives of various organisations and religious communities of Ladakh.

Jamyang T. Namgyal, MP and Tashi Gyalson, the CEC, were among those who welcomed His Holiness to the function. On behalf of the people of Ladakh, they expressed wholehearted gratitude to His Holiness for the extraordinary way his teachings and advice have enriched the lives of the people of Ladakh. Over the years, he has encouraged them to cultivate a warm heart and work for the welfare of their fellow human beings. They requested His Holiness to continue to visit Ladakh and to stay longer.

Chief Executive Councillor, Tashi Gyalson presented a brief report on the development of Ladakh in recent times, which has included bringing basic facilities, such as electricity, better roads and other infrastructure, to remote regions. He was also happy to announce that Tibetan refugees in Ladakh are also benefitting from the welfare schemes introduced by the Union Territory of Ladakh.

There were three song and dance performances. Two of them were traditional cultural dances, while the third was a song written by a Ladakhi scholar extolling the qualities of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

His Holiness was invited to address the gathering. He said that he found the sight of the great statue of the Buddha across the valley in Stok Village inspiring.

His Holiness told the gathering that he appreciated the people of Ladakh’s faith and devotion. He assured them that he will continue to visit Ladakh, which generally enjoys a dry climate when the monsoon makes the Indian plains wet and humid.