Dalai Lama grants first in-person audience since COVID outbreak to CTA President 

DHARAMSALA, 15 Dec: The President of the Central Tibetan Administration has today received an in-person audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama since the outbreak of COVID-19.

“For the last one and a half years, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has not met any member of the public in-person due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” CTA President Penpa Tsering said after his audience with the Tibetan spiritual leader at his residence earlier today.

While the Dalai Lama has not held a single in-person meeting since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, President Tsering said that starting today, “the Dalai Lama has resumed in-person meetings with the public” and that the first audience was granted to him as the political head of the Tibetan people.

“I would like to express my deep gratitude for that. Gradually, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will start granting audiences to one or two members of the public, Tibet.net, the official webpage of the CTA quoted President Tsering as saying in its report.

However, he has warned that “it still would not be possible for the large majority of the people” to receive the Dalai Lama’s audience for now.

The CTA President, whose last in-person audience with the Dalai Lama dates back to October 2017 has said that he feels “fortunate to have received this first in-person audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama today” and concluded by pledging “to perform his duties with the blessings and advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to serve the Tibetan public and our common cause.” 

Meanwhile, Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama’s temple here in Dharamsala still remains shut due to the pandemic. 

On 18 March 2020, the office of the Dalai Lama announced that the Main Tibetan Temple  (Tsuglhakhang) will be closed until further notice.