A video taken by ANI shows actor Richard Gere taking part in celebrations sponsored by the Central Tibetan Administration of the Tibetan government-in-exile at the main Buddhist temple of Tsuglagkhang in Dharamshala. Gere is an avid supporter and follower of the Dalai Lama.

“Conveyed 87th birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama over the phone earlier Wednesday. We pray for his long life and good health,” Modi wrote in a Tweet.

As an international symbol of peace, harmony, and nonviolence, the Dalai Lama has earned recognition among the world’s political, religious, and social leaders throughout his exile.

For the Tibetan independence movement, the Dalai Lama has gained widespread global support. He has been promoting the rights of the Tibetan people to a homeland and culture, the restoration of the thousands of Buddhist monasteries that China destroyed, and the release of hundreds of Tibetans who were imprisoned by Beijing for the past several decades. He has done this by advocating for the Tibetan cause without resorting to violence.

Every year, followers around the world commemorate July 6 as the “incarnation day” of the 14th Dalai Lama. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, had kept the celebrations for Incarnation Day quiet for the past two years. After leaving China in 1959, the Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India.