The Dalai Lama arrived in Bloomington on Saturday in preparation for today’s dedication of an interfaith temple.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali will join the Dalai Lama at the 10 a.m. dedication ceremony of Chamtse Ling, a $1.2 million, 10,000-square-foot temple with a mission to promote world peace and harmony.
Organizers say Ali’s visit to Bloomington is a sign of support for the people of Tibet, a country the Chinese government has controlled for five decades. Ali has become a world ambassador for peace and humanitarian efforts.
The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader-in-exile, received the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent efforts opposing Chinese rule.
It will also be the fourth time the Dalai Lama has visited the Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington. His older brother, retired Indiana University Professor Thubten J. Norbu, is founder of the center and co-founder of the International Tibet Independence Movement.
The gate will open at 6 a.m. at the Tibetan Cultural Center, 3655 Snoddy Road. Most tickets are $75; monks, nuns, seniors and Tibetans receive a 25-percent discount. Attendance is limited to 5,000 people on a first-come, first-served basis.
