DHARAMSHALA: The Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration in collaboration with the International Gelug Association and Domey Association is organising a grand long-life prayer ceremony for His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2015.

Addressing a press conference today, Dhondup Dorjee, Secretary of the Department of Religion and Culture said : “We will be organising a grand long life ceremony for His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the momentous occasion of his 80th birthday in 2015 to express our gratitude and reverence to his remarkable contribution to the Tibetan cause and universal values.”

“The three organising groups have initially requested to organise the long-life prayer ceremony individually. However, we are advised to organise the prayer ceremony in collaboration with each other, as the collective merit of prayers have more effect and value,” he explained.

The grand long-life prayer ceremony is scheduled on 21 June 2015, the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama according to the traditional Tibetan lunar calendar.

The Central Tibetan Administration has also announced earlier that it would observe 2014 as the “Year of His Holiness the Dalai Lama” to express deep gratitude to his remarkable achievements for the cause of Tibet and promote his ideals of non-violence and human values.