Dalai Lama no-show at mass untouchable conversion in India

May 27, 2007

This Sunday it was hoped Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama, would preside over a mass conversion of Indian to Buddhism. According to a report in newspaper he instead sent a message of encouragement to the mass conversion ceremony in Mumbai.

The ceremony, attended by diplomats from a variety of Buddhist countries, was expected to have around 100,000 converts. Those attending the ceremony at the city's racecourse hope that the change of religion will help escape the stigma of being one of the country's untouchables.