By Tenzin Monlam

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the beginning of the 1st day of the actual Kalachakra initiation in Bodh Gaya, Bihar last year. Phayul file photo- Kusang Gashon.

DHARAMSHALA, December 18: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s scheduled 50-day visit to the holy city of Bodhgaya has been cut down to 40 days, according to media reports.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, scheduled to arrive in Gaya on December 26 following his South India tour, will now be arriving on January 2.

The Gaya district administration has been informed with the changed schedule and is making the necessary arrangements.

As for the security of the 82-year-old spiritual leader, a temporary police station has been already setup near the Kalachakra puja ground where round the clock police surveillance will be there throughout his stay.

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Sarnath and Pune during this period and will leave on February 12 for Dharamshala.

The octogenarian spiritual leader will also give two three-day teachings beginning from January 5-7 on Dharmachakra Parivaretan Sutra on ‘The Four Noble Truths’ & ‘Sutra on Dependent Origination’ and Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Bodhicitta & Gyalsey Thokme Sangpos’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva from January 14-16.

Gaya District Magistrate (DM) Kumar Ravi had already assured support during the Tibetan leader’s stay there, which is expected to draw some 40,000 devotees.

Along with the security, the administration has also arranged traffic regulations during the period. Entry of rickshaws coming from Domuhan-end has been restricted till node II and those coming from the Gaya-Bodhgaya riverside road till Rajapur. E-rickshaws are also being coded and will be allowed till the SBI branch, around 500m west of the Mahabodhi Temple.