Tibetan/Eng The 17th Karmapa Lama, Ugyen Thinley Dorje who has been visiting the famous Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Northern India, was given a public reception on his arrival in Delhi on Wednesday. The teenage Karmapa, the only senior lama to be recognised by both Beijing and the exiled Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama, arrived in Dharmsala in north India in January 2000 after an arduous 1,400 kilometer (875 mile) trek through the snowbound Himalayas. The Karmapa heads the Karma Kagyu sect and is considered by his followers to be the reincarnation of his predecessor. The reception was organised by members of the Buddhist community spread across the Himalayan region in India. The monk, who spent the last 13 months restricted to monasteries near Dharmsala, the exile headquarters of the Dalai Lama, was this month given permission by Indian authorities to visit Sarnath, Varanasi and Bodhgaya -three towns in north India which are sacred to Buddhists. The Karmapa has been granted refugee status, giving him more freedom to travel in India. However, he was prohibited from going to Rumtek Monastery, the seat of his predecessor, in the former Himalayan Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim. Now an Indian state, Sikkim is also claimed by China. He has also been denied permission to visit Shearabling, a monastic center in northern India considered of great significance to Tibetan Buddhists. Large numbers of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the Karmapa lama who escaped Chinese-controlled Tibet last year . In his first ever public speech, the karmapa said he has been praying for all those who suffered difficulties because of his escape from Chinese controlled Tibet. SOUNDBITE:(Tibetan) "During my pilgrimage, I made a dedication to the great country India which is the source of many leading religions....so may this country always remain in peace and harmony. And may the people of this country be in happiness and joy. There are many religions in the world. Unfortunately , there is always misunderstanding in religion. So I made a dedication that such unnecessary things should not happen. At the same time, all religions should remain friendly and serve their purpose correctly and always be close to each other. Because of my escape from Tibet, certain difficulties were caused to many individuals - especially my family, brothers and sisters, relatives, my own monastery, and all religious devotees. Also, many individuals from Tibet lose their lives for the sake of Tibet's cause.So I prayed that all these individuals may have peace, all their obstacles be purified and their wishes be fulfilled." SUPER CAPTION: Orgyen Thinley Dorje, 17th Karmapa Lama, Buddhist leader The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet after a failed 1959 revolt against Chinese rule, was followed to northern India by more than 120,000 refugees who settled with him in the Indian mountain town of Dharmsala. They and their descendants, and new refugees, have settled in pockets all over India, and New Delhi is a major center for Tibetans. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/8ade7136739abcbc36f046a28a813019 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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