Dalai Lama assures followers about health on return to India

DHARAMSALA, INDIA: The Dalai Lama has assured his followers that he is in excellent health upon his return to the Tibetan government-in-exile's headquarters in northern India.

Hundreds of Tibetans, holding incense sticks and scarves, lined the streets of Dharamsala town to celebrate the return of the Tibetan spiritual leader.

The Dalai Lama said he had had a thorough medical checkup at a medical clinic in Minnesota and was in "excellent condition."

The Tibetan leader's assurances came days after doctors at the Mayo Clinic instructed him to rest. He later canceled his October appearances in the United States.

The health of the 80-year-old Tibetan Buddhist leader is a matter of concern for his followers across the world, and especially for the hundreds of thousands of Tibetans who live in India.