Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India, 15 November 2009 (By Deepak Asthana, MyNews) - A shadow of grief descended over the mountains of Itanagar and its adjoining areas when the Pawan Hans chopper took-off from the Raj Bhawan helipad here this morning with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
The devotees as well as the public gathered in the helipad with heavy hearts bid farewell to their beloved guru. They touched him with tearful eyes to get his last blessings.
Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, his cabinet colleagues and some MLAs were also present.
The Dalai Lama, who left Itanagar at 0830 hrs after completing his last leg of visit to the state, is scheduled to fly to Rome from Delhi to inaugurate the two-day Fifth World Parliamentary Convention beginning on Wednesday.
The week-long visit of the spritual leader to this frontier state amid protest from China was successful, the weather was not a deterrent for him wherever he visited in the last few days. The visit was completely peaceful without any untoward incidents as the state government had made elaborate security arrangements in all the places where His Holiness visited.
The 76-year-old Dalai Lama mesmerized thousands of people in this Himalayan state with his divine oratory skill, as people from all walks of life thronged every venues where His Holiness deliver discourse.
The Dalai Lama arrived at Tawang on November 8 last with his ten-member entourage. He stayed in the district for four days and addressed religious discourse at Yid Gha Chozin besides visiting various monastries in the district including the famous Tawang Monastery.
The Tibetan leader also inaugurated a multi-speciality hospital at Tawang for which he had donated an amount of Rs 20, 00,000.
On November 12 enroute to Bomdila from Tawang, His Holiness has sanctified Thupsang-dhargye-Ling monastery and planted Christmas tree at Dirang.
While addressing devotees at Dirang stadium the Dalai Lama has categorically stressed on four noble thoughts of Buddhism. He also visited Kalaktang before he left for Itanagar.
Here the Dalai Lama visited the Thupten Gatsalling Gompa and the Theraveda Buddha Vihar at Vivek Vihar belonging to the Hinayana Sect of Buddhism. He also interacted with intellectuals at Banquet Hall here in the evening.