Dharamshala, Mar. 10 : Hundreds of Tibetans, including monks, nuns and officials of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, gathered at the main Tsuglagkhang Buddhist temple in Dharamshala to offer prayers for the long life of their spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Monday.

This congregation of Tibetans assembled just a day prior to the 50th anniversary of Chinese occupation of their homeland.

"Today the Tibetan exile Government led by the Prime Minister and Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament and also the representatives of the Tibetan people are here to offer long life prayers for Dalai Lama and this is very significant because... the Tibetans are commemorating the 50th anniversary of Chinese occupation of Tibet and it has been
50 long years that Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India," said Tenzin, a Tibetan monk.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in March 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

In 2009, Lhasa riots triggered demonstrations and marches throughout the ethnically Tibetan regions which were later quelled by the Chinese troops. Thousands of Tibetans were rounded up in the following crackdown across the region.

Chinese authorities have admitted of killing only 19 persons during the initial riots, while Tibetan exile groups said scores more were killed and hundreds arrested across the region in a subsequent crackdown by the Chinese officials.

A newspaper report quoted Dalai Lama, as saying that Tibet was very tense and that there could be ''an explosion of violence'' at any time. (ANI)