On February 22, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) held a special ceremony at the main Tibetan temple in McLedoganj, to commemorate the 86th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
On this day in 1940, the Dalai Lama was formally placed on the Golden Throne at the Potala Palace in Lhasa after being recognized as the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama at the age of four.
The CTA statement reads that in 1940, the ceremony was attended by the civil and military officials of the Tibetan Government, the foremost lamas and tulkus of Tibet, representatives from China, Nepal, and Bhutan, as well as the British Indian Government and the Political Officer in Sikkim.
During the ceremony in McLeodganj, Sikyong Penpa Tsering delivered the official statement for the occasion, followed by an address from former Kalon Tripa Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, who addressed the gathering in Hindi as Chief Guest, reflecting on the historical significance of His Holiness’s enthronement and his enduring contributions to peace, compassion, and the Tibetan cause.
Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi also attended the ceremony as the chief guest. In his keynote address, he described the event as “a journey of 86 years that has cut through darkness and moved toward light.” In his X post, he expressed delight and stated his conversation with the Dalai Lama was “enlightening.”
Adrian Michael A. Amatong, Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, and Rufus B. Rodriguez, the Guest of Honour at the event, drew parallels with Philippine history and expressed pride that the Philippines conferred upon His Holiness the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1959—an honour that continues to be held in high esteem by the Filipino people.
Representatives from various religious traditions and communities spoke at the event, expressing respect for the Dalai Lama’s lifelong commitment to peace and dialogue.
