Tibet's government-in-exile marks 86 years since the Dalai Lama's enthronement

The Central Tibetan Administration commemorated the 86th anniversary of the enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama on Sunday with an official ceremony at Thekchen Choeling Tsuglakhang , the principal Tibetan monastery in McLeodganj , Himachal Pradesh , headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

On February 22, 1940 , four-year-old Tenzin Gyatso was enthroned upon the Golden Throne at the Potala Palace in Lhasa, following his recognition as the reincarnation of his predecessor. After China’s invasion of Tibet in 1950 , the Dalai Lama was compelled to take on full temporal authority at just 15 . In 1959 , after a popular uprising against Chinese rule was crushed , he fled to India, where he has lived in exile in Dharamsala ever since.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi and former Kalon Tripa Professor Samdhong Rinpoche served as chief guests, alongside Philippine legislators and interfaith representatives from across India. Prior to the ceremony, the Dalai Lama personally received all visiting guests at his residence. The event opened with the Tibetan national anthem and the ceremonial hoisting of both the Tibetan and Indian flags .

Satyarthi described the Dalai Lama's journey as one that had “ cut through darkness toward light ,” adding that wisdom and spiritual strength not age gave the 1940 enthronement its true meaning. He firmly stated that recognition of any future Dalai Lama must rest solely within Tibetan Buddhist tradition and cannot be determined by any political authority a pointed rebuttal of Beijing 's claims.

Penpa Tsering , President of the CTA, reaffirmed the Dalai Lama's teachings of compassion, nonviolence, and universal responsibility as globally relevant. The Kashag noted that his legacy was further recognised at the Annual Grammy Awards in February 2026 , where he received the award for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, underscoring the worldwide reach of his message of peace.