"Exiles, monks and well-wishers are joining the birthday celebrations. Prayers for the well-being and long life of our spiritual leader began," an official of the Dalai Lama's office told IANS in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Tibetan spiritual leader The Dalai Lama tastes food to be distributed to schoolchildren at the ISKCON temple in Bangalore on July 5, 2013, on the eve of his 78th birthday. Pic/ AFP