DHARAMSHALA, AUGUST 29

The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, returned to the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile in northern India on Wednesday after undergoing a knee replacement surgery in New York.

Hundreds of followers in colorful, flowing robes, waving scarves and flowers, cheered the Dalai Lama at the airport and his residence. Several of them beat drums and performed traditional dances. Tibetan and Buddhist flags adorned poles and railings.

The Dalai Lama, 89, flew to Dharamshala after weeks of recovery at the Nappi Farmhouse in Syracuse, New York, following the surgery on June 28.

Dr. David Mayman, chief of the adult reconstruction and joint replacement service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, said after the surgery that the Dalai Lama was recovering well and was expected to continue improving over the next six to 12 months.

Dr. Tsetan D Sadutshang and Dr. Tsewang Tamdin, physicians to the Dalai Lama, said last month that the surgical incision had completely healed without any complications. The physiotherapists said they were happy with the speed of his improvement.

The Dalai Lama has made Dharamshala, the hillside town in northern India, his headquarters since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. Representatives of a Tibetan government-in-exile also reside there.

The Dalai Lama formally relinquished his political and administrative powers in 2011 and handed his political responsibilities to the community's elected leadership. But he has remained the spiritual leader of the Tibetan community.

His followers see him as capable of uniting and mobilizing Tibetans inside and outside China.

Over 100,000 Tibetan refugees live in India, Nepal and Bhutan, according to Tibetan organizations. Their number in India is estimated at around 85,000, while many have also moved to countries such as the U.S., Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

China exercises rigid control over all religions and, in recent years, has stepped up a campaign of cultural assimilation targeting Tibetans, Turkic Muslim Uyghurs and other minority groups.

China castigates the Dalai Lama as an advocate for Tibetan independence and has not had direct contact with his representatives for more than a decade.

The Dalai Lama says he merely advocates for Tibet's substantial autonomy and protection of its native Buddhist culture.