(This story was originally published on 6 July 2016. It has been republished from The Quint’s archives to mark The Dalai Lama’s 85th birthday.)
The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, assumed the position of the Dalai Lama in 1940.
His birthday – on 6 July – is also celebrated as ‘World Tibet Day’ in an attempt to generate greater awareness about the problems being faced by the Tibetan population.
He sought refuge in India in 1959, and has been living here, along with a large Tibetan community, ever since.
On his 82nd birthday, here is some archival footage from British Pathe, a repository of newsreels, cine-magazines and documentaries.
The Prime Minister of India at the time was Jawaharlal Nehru, who was happy to grant the Dalai Lama asylum in his country.
In 1964, the Dalai Lama opened a monastery in Mussoorie, modelled on a monastery in Lhasa, Tibet.
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