Dalai Lama visits Zanskar monastery in Kargil, devotees gather to seek blessings
10 Photos . Updated: 21 Jul 2025, 02:40 PM IST
Share Via
Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama visited Zanskar around July 20 after weather delays. He was greeted by thousands at Padum and embraced by monastic and civic leaders. During a multi-day stay, he conducted teachings, blessings, and promoted unity, harmony, and spiritual renewal
1/10Dalai Lama received a grand welcome at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
2/10Dalai Lama greets devotees at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
3/10Dalai Lama enjoys a hot cup of tea at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
4/10Dalai Lama greets devotees at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
5/10Dalai Lama attends function at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
6/10Devotees perform local dance for Dalai Lama at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
7/10Dalai Lama at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
8/10Dalai Lama with monks at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
9/10Dalai Lama meets other monastic leaders at Zanskar monastery (Photo: Waseem Andrabi /Hindustan Times)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Bldg declared unsafe: 18k Colaba BMC school students study online
MUMBAI: For the last fortnight, 1,500 students from the English-medium section of a civic-run school in Colaba have been attending classes online. The shift to virtual learning began after the BMC's School Infrastructure Cell (SIC) declared the two school buildings on the premises unsafe and ordered their demolition. Mumbai, India - Aug. 4, 2025:Colaba Municipal School near Colaba fire brigade at Colaba, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, August 4, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) The campus consists of two buildings, housing sections with eight mediums of instruction, including Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Urdu and English. Together, they have 2,800 students on their rolls. In November 2024, the first notice for demolition was issued. Following this, the principal started shifting students to nearby municipal schools. While students from the Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and Urdu sections were relocated, two English-medium sections with 1,500 students could not be moved. Alternatively, their education has moved online. Parents and activists are demanding that the BMC demolish one building at a time, instead of shutting both. 'One of the buildings has been marked as C2, which means it needs major repairs but isn't dangerous,' said Shivnath Darade, a representative of Shikshak Parishad, the teachers' union. Darade also pointed out that in May, the SIC, responding to a query from the principal, said students could attend classes in that building. So the school resumed offline classes in June. However, in a sudden move at the end of June, the BMC's building department instructed the school to vacate both buildings, declaring them dilapidated. This decision left the English-medium students with no physical classrooms from July 15. A parent of a Class 5 student said, 'We chose this school because the teachers are really good. Both our children study here. But now they're forced to learn online. We are awaiting relocation. There are many open spaces in the area and the BMC should use them.' To find a long-term solution, parents recently met local MLA Rahul Narvekar. 'He assured us that he would take up the matter,' said one parent. Meanwhile, school principals, teachers and local officials have been searching for alternative locations since January 2025, after the initial notice was served. An official shared, 'There were two Marathi, two Hindi, and one each of English, Kannada and Urdu medium schools in the premises. We've managed to shift 830 students from the Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and Urdu sections to the Colaba Market BMC School.' Some older English-medium students from Classes 9 and 10 were moved to the Bora Bazaar municipal school but many parents are unhappy with the conditions there. 'It is overcrowded, and the classrooms are not suitable,' said one parent. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Education), Prachi Jambhekar, said, 'We are looking at various options. Unfortunately, no welfare centres or amenity spaces are available. The Colaba Market location was the only option, and even that had to be vacated by the election office first. We've moved students there and are now exploring rental spaces. We hope to find more space soon.'
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Habits that are quietly draining your energy
By Sakshi Sah Published Aug 05, 2025 Hindustan Times Trending Photo Credits: Pexels Unlock Now Read Next
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Tibetans plan to secure heritage buildings in quake-prone Dharamshala
Dharamshala: The Tibetan stone buildings with colourful porch columns, yellow bands, red-sheet roofing, so much a part of Dharamshala's architectural tapestry, are set to undergo a seismic change, literally. Understanding the vulnerability of the town to earthquakes and the high concentration of culturally and politically important institutions around the place, Tibetan planners have started looking for ways to secure the safety of these buildings. A New York-based architecture and engineering firm, Studio Nyandak, has begun the process for Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) of the Central Tibetan Administration's buildings and will soon submit a comprehensive plan to guide their earthquake preparedness efforts. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) building in Dharamshala, which houses many important manuscripts and artefacts bought from Tibet, is one of the few buildings that has already been retrofitted for earthquake resistance. The issue was highlighted during a two-day conference titled "Architectural Heritage and Dharamsala Earthquake Resilience," which brought together architects, engineers, and experts to explore the critical intersection of preserving Tibetan architectural traditions and preparing for the region's high seismic vulnerability. Speaking on occasion, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) director Geshe Lhakdor said, "Dharamshala is the residence of the Dalai Lama and the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. A major earthquake here could have devastating consequences for the entire Tibetan exile community. That's why we must take this threat seriously." A number of cultural and historical treasures are currently at risk in the LTWA main library building and the Tsuglag Khang complex, the residence of the Dalai Lama. These buildings contain collections of significant manuscripts, bronzes, and thangkas (scroll paintings) brought out of Tibet by refugees. Many of the manuscripts and bronzes are several centuries old and represent the last physical links to monasteries destroyed by the Chinese government during the Cultural Revolution. Studio Nyandak founder Tenzin Nyandak said RVS of buildings at Upper Tibetan Children's Village assessing their earthquake risk levels has been completed, and similar assessments are planned for Delek Hospital and Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medical and Astro-Science Institute, though funding remains a major challenge, especially for retrofitting high-risk buildings. Admitting that improvements in older projects are limited due to pre-existing plans, he is hopeful that engineering standards, soil testing, and seismic safety are incorporated into new constructions. Structural engineer Dechen Tsogyal from Studio Nyandak noted that the region lies in seismic zones 4 and 5, making it highly prone to large-scale earthquakes. Referencing the 1905 Kangra earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8, Tsogyal said that, according to geological studies, a similar event is expected to occur again within the next 50 to 200 years. Traditional Tibetan architecture, as seen in most monasteries and heritage buildings around Dharamshala, is not inherently earthquake-safe. While traditional Tibetan construction excels in aspects such as climate adaptability and the use of local materials, it generally lacks features critical for seismic resistance. The 1905 Kangra earthquake caused around 20,000 deaths despite the region's small population at the time. Geo-hazards study A study carried out in 2006 by GeoHazards International (GHI), a non-profit working towards global earthquake safety, found numerous earthquake vulnerabilities that endanger the Tibetan community's efforts to preserve its cultural heritage. The assessment team found numerous seismic vulnerabilities in the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives campus, at the Tsuglag Khang complex and in the Upper Dharamsala community that threaten the people, collections of culturally significant objects and materials, and cultural institutions during earthquakes that may strike the area. The study had pointed out that Tsuglag Khang's collections of manuscripts, thangkas, and bronze and clay images lack seismic protection measures.
