His
Holiness the Dalai Lama Leaves for South India[Friday, 28 January 2011, 6:00 p.m.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama/OHHDL File Photo

His Holiness the Dalai Lama left Dharamsala
today for a visit to the south Indian state of Karnataka from 30 January
– 6 February 2011.DHARAMSHALA: The highlights of the visit
include the inauguration of memorial of late Shri S Nijalingappa, the
first chief minister of Karnataka, who helped in the rehabilitation of
the first batch of Tibetan refugees in south India; interaction with
students at St Josephs College and a public talk on ‘Finding Happiness
in Troubled Times’ in Bangalore.On Saturday, His Holiness will
inaugurate S Nijalingappa’s newly-built memorial on the outskirts of
Chitradurga, which is located some 500 km from Bangalore. Late
Nijalingappa, who was the Karnataka state’s first chief minister from
1956 – 1958 extended support to rehabilitate the first batch of around
3,000 Tibetan refugees at Lugsung Samdupling Tibetan Settlement at
Bylakuppe. Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and leader of opposition
Siddaramaiah will attend the function. The trust formed after his demise
on 8 August 2000 has been striving to build a befitting memorial at the
tome of the great soul for guiding the future generation.  “The
existing buildings beside the tome include a library, computer room,
class rooms, conference hall, audio-visual room, prayer room and others.
A research centre attached with a workshop, hostel blocks for both men
and women have also been planned as part of the existing buildings,” S
Sivashankarappa, chairman and founder trustee, told the Times of
India.His Holiness will visit St Joseph College of Arts and
Science on Sunday morning. Following his address, there will be an
questions and answers session and a 30 minute cultural programme with
Tibetans, North-East and other dances. Speaking on the visit, the
college principal Dr Ambrose Pinto said: “His Holiness the Dalai Lama is
the symbol of love and peace and a universal leader.  Supporting His
Holiness the Dalai Lama means denouncing oppression and suppression, and
as well as announcing hope, determination, and brotherhood.” There are
116 Tibetan students in the college.”In the afternoon, His
Holiness will give a public talk on ‘Finding Happiness in Troubled
Times’ organised by the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana
Tradition (FPMT) and Choe Khor Sum Ling at the National College Grounds,
Basanavagudi. Watch live webcast of the talk on dalailama.com from 2:30pm –
4:00pm Indian Standard Time.His Holiness will then leave for
Doeguling Tibetan settlement in Mundgod, where he will inaugurate Rato
monastery on 31 January and give religious discourse at Drepung Lachi
Monastery and Gaden Shartse Monastery from 1 – 5 February. On 6 February
His Holiness will confer a Buddha Maitreya Blessing Empowerment (jampa
gonpo jenang) followed by a long life offering ceremony at Gaden Shartse
Monastery.