Buddhist monks and Tibetans offer prayers on the 78th birthday of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.<br/> <br />The chief of India's southern Karnataka state, Siddaramaiah, visited Bylakuppe city on Saturday (July 6) to meet him.<br/> <br />Bylakuppe is home to the largest gathering of Tibetan exiles outside of Dharamshala - the seat of the Tibetan government in exile.<br/> <br />Meanwhile in Shimla in India's northern Himachal Pradesh province, the birthday celebrations of the spiritual leader were met with music and song.<br/> <br />The Dalai Lama currently lives in India but many Tibetans fear that Beijing will simply appoint its own replacement to him, a scenario that will almost certainly cause violent protests in Tibet.<br/> <br />The Dalai Lama has suggested that his incarnation might be found outside Chinese-controlled territory and has said that the succession process could break with tradition -- either by being hand-picked by him or through democratic elections.
