Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, April 2: A six-day foot march event “Freedom Trail” began on Monday, retracing the historic route taken by His Holiness the Dalai Lama when he fled Tibet and entered India 66 years ago in 1959. The trek commenced at Khinzamani (also known as Kenzamani or Khen-Dze-Mane) in Zemithang, Arunachal Pradesh, and will conclude on April 5 in Pungteng, Tawang.
March 31, 2025 marks exactly 66 years since the Dalai Lama and his entourage of eighty people first stepped into the Mon region of India after fleeing Norbulingka Palace in Tibet. The 24-year-old spiritual leader endured an exhausting trek, travelling day and night before finally crossing into India via the Ke-Dze-Mani mountain pass. Upon arrival, he was received by T.S. Murti, the Assistant Political Officer of Tawang, along with security personnel from the 5 Assam Rifles and local residents of Jemeithang.
Organised by the Tawang District Administration under Deputy Commissioner Kanki Darang, the event has garnered support from local officials, including MLA Lungla Tsering Lhamu and Department of Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs (DoKAA) Chairman Jambey Wangdi. Approximately 300 participants joined the first day of the trek, according to local news outlets, including village leaders, border security personnel, monks, and tourists.
The inaugural ceremony included long-life prayers for the Dalai Lama and cultural performances by monks and villagers. In her address, MLA Tsering Lhamu emphasised the spiritual and historical significance of the trek, noting that “our relationship with Tibet is centuries old, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual understanding.”
Deputy Commissioner Darang highlighted Kenzamani’s historical importance as the location where the then 24-year-old Dalai Lama was first received by Indian officials after his long journey from Tibet’s Norbulingka Palace. A poignant moment during the ceremony occurred when ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) jawans received a portrait of the Dalai Lama and a branch from the holy tree at Chudangmo, offering a guard of honour.
The trek will follow the Dalai Lama’s original route through significant sites including Chudangmo, Gorzam Chorten, Shakti, Lungla, and Thongleng before reaching Tawang. Day two of the journey will take participants to Gorzam Choeten.
According to organisers, the Freedom Trail not only commemorates this pivotal historical moment but also aims to spread the Dalai Lama’s message of peace, non-violence, and compassion while highlighting the deep cultural ties between Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh. The District Administration has invited the public to join the culmination ceremony in Pungteng, Tawang, on April 5, 2025, marking the anniversary of His Holiness’s arrival in Tawang 66 years ago.
One Response
His Holiness the Dalai Lama ran away from Chinese evil occupation as a 25 year old newcomer to India to establish a Tibetan govt in exile due to his compassionate vision. We can imagine how much suffering any human will go through going through such a perilous journey crossing border from Tibet to India. His Holiness escaped Tibet for the sake of 6 million Tibetans to put tibet issue on the global platform, and he rightly won nobel peace prize in 1989 from a country of Norway in Europe, to liberate poor and helpless Tibetan refugees