Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 25 (ANI): Tibetans-in-exile in Shimla on Saturday celebrated the 37th birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, with prayers and offerings, and renewed calls for his release.
The observance was jointly organised by Jonang Monastery and the Shimla chapters of the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Tibetan Youth Congress. Monks and members of the Tibetan community gathered at the Dingu Hill prayer site near the monastery to offer prayers for the Panchen Lama’s long life and immediate release.
Tsewang Phuntsok, Chief Representative of the Central Tibetan Administration, said the day holds deep significance for Tibetans and the global Buddhist community. Born on April 25, 1989, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima was recognised at age six by the Dalai Lama as one of Tibetan Buddhism’s highest spiritual figures, second only to the Dalai Lama.
Phuntsok recalled that the 10th Panchen Lama had faced imprisonment after raising concerns about Tibetan rights and said that in 1995 Chinese authorities took the 11th Panchen Lama and his family into custody. “Since then, there has been no reliable information about his whereabouts or well-being,” he said, noting that the Panchen Lama recognised by the Dalai Lama continues to be accepted by Tibetan Buddhists worldwide, while the Beijing-appointed alternative is not.
Phuntsok added that Tibetan communities globally observe the day to promote culture, language and traditions, and urged the international community—including the United Nations—to send a delegation to Tibet to ascertain his condition and press for his release along with other political prisoners.
Freedom activist Tenzin Nangyal said the occasion matters to Buddhists worldwide and that despite decades of uncertainty, the community continues to mark his birthday symbolically, hoping future celebrations can be held with him present.
Monastic leaders emphasised the Panchen Lama’s cultural and spiritual importance. Acharya Kunga Choephel called the Panchen Lama one of Tibetan Buddhism’s two central spiritual pillars and said prayers aim to preserve Tibetan culture and religion and to secure his long life and return.
According to historical records, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima was born in Lhari village in Nagchu, in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. After his recognition in 1995 by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, China rejected the recognition and appointed Gyaincain Norbu. Chinese authorities allegedly detained Gendhun Choekyi Nyima and his family soon after, and his whereabouts have since remained unknown, making him one of the world’s longest-unaccounted-for political figures.
The peaceful observance in Shimla, marked by prayers and reflection, served as a quiet but firm expression of resistance to religious suppression and a reaffirmation of faith and identity, as the Tibetan community continues to press the international community for answers and action. (ANI)
