Dalai Lama marks 90th birthday amid succession speculation

The Dalai Lama marked his 90th birthday among other exiled Tibetans in the Buddhist temple complex in Dharamsala in northern India on Sunday amid speculation on who will succeed him.

Indian government representatives were among those attending, as was Hollywood star Richard Gere, who has been a proponent of Tibetan rights for decades.

The Dalai Lama said it was his task to serve his people and to spread the teaching of Buddha, according to a translation from the Tibetan.

In an earlier birthday message, he had described himself as a "simple Buddhist monk."

The celebrations were held with cultural presentations and speeches.

Days earlier, the Dalai Lama prepared the ground for his succession and announced his reincarnation.

He stressed independence from China, which controls Tibetan territory, in choosing the new Dalai Lama. Beijing has criticized the announcement and claimed the right to decide on the succession.

Tibetan Buddhists believe that Lamas are reborn after their death, and that the next reincarnation of a Dalai Lama can be found.

The current Dalai Lama was 2 years old when a Buddhist scholar saw in him the rebirth of his predecessor. He fled the Tibetan highlands in 1959, travelling the world to preach reconciliation and peace.

The Dalai Lama ceased his political work in 2011. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.