After learning this morning that Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union and Nobel Peace Laureate had passed away, His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote to the Gorbachev Foundation to express his sadness.

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived at the Ladakh Gonpa Association's Dharma Centre, a huge community prayer hall at Choglamsar, Mr. Thupstan Chhewang, President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, and Acharya Tenzin Wangtak, President of the All Ladakh Gonpa Association and other representatives were there to greet him.

His Holiness formally inaugurated a new center of learning at Thupstanling Gonpa, Diskit Tsal, Leh. Built by members of the local community it is a spacious center, open to all religious denominations, where there will be facilities for holding classes on Buddhist philosophy, a library, and so forth.

Although he is currently on a visit to Ladakh, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been moved by reports of excessively heavy monsoon rains that have caused the loss of precious life, as well as damage to property and infrastructure in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, bringing great hardship to many people. He has written to the Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur to express his sadness.

The Ladakh Muslim Coordination Committee Leh, Ladakh UT, hosted a reception at Shah-e-Hamdan, Masjid Sharif, Shey this morning in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.