The excitement over the Dalai Lama’s possible successor has cooled for now, with his 90th birthday passing off without the widely expected prediction of who his “reincarnation” might be.

The Tibetan Buddhist leader has, however, found support from Union minister Kiren Rijiju and US secretary of state Marco Rubio for the process he has decided for the selection of his successor.

The Dalai Lama had announced on July 2 that the “Gaden Phodrang Trust (which functions under his office) has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation”.

This was after his June 30 statement hinted at a “framework” on “the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lamas”, bringing the Tibetan diaspora and other devotees flocking to this hill station where he and the Tibetan government-in-exile are based.

Speculation about a successor had begun back in 2011 when the 14th Dalai Lama announced that after turning 90, he would consult Tibetans and their Buddhist lamas to decide whether his position should continue after his death.

Sunday’s grand birthday celebrations at the Tsuglagkhang temple complex witnessed spectacular traditional dances and music performances by troupes from eight countries in addition to those from India. Taiwan was prominent among them, with a group from the island managing the sound system for the show.

However, as the performances continued for more than half an hour without the Dalai Lama making an appearance, whispers began that he had caught a flu and would only appear briefly.

The Dalai Lama put these fears to rest by sitting through the entire event after
he arrived.

When he entered in his golf cart, a sense of relief seemed to sweep over the devotees — many drenched in rain, many too old to walk but clinging to the railings to see him.

A group of women from Taiwan held out photos of what seemed to be their family members, apparently to seek his blessings for them. Whether the people in the photos were living relations or dead ancestors could not be ascertained for want of a translator.

What was clear, though, was the Dalai Lama’s influence even on people from outside the embrace of Tibetan Buddhism.

Within Tibet, where veneration of the Dalai Lama is prohibited since China considers him a separatist, there have not been reports of the commemoration of the monk’s birthday. The Dalai Lama had fled China in 1959 and has been living in exile in India since.

The BBC, however, reported last week that support for the Dalai Lama remains strong among Tibetans in China where they venerate him secretly.

In his speech, the Dalai Lama stuck to themes spiritual: “I am now 90 and so far I have practised Bodhichitta, and I have also reflected on the shamatha and repashyana as well as I can. So when I reflect upon my life, I see that I have not wasted my life at all.”

Birthday greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, Rubio, and former US Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama were read out or their videos played.

The largest foreign diplomatic delegation, of six officials, was from the US. Czech ambassador Eliska Zigova was the only head of diplomatic mission in attendance.

Rijiju said: “As a devotee myself and on behalf of all the millions of devotees across the world, I want to emphatically state that whatever decision (is) taken by His Holiness, the established conventions and traditions, we will fully abide by it and follow the directions and guidelines to be issued from the institution of the Dalai Lama.”

Rijiju had earlier backed the Dalai Lama’s July 2 statement about the Gaden Phodrang Trust having sole authority to recognise his reincarnation.

This had drawn an angry objection from China, which insists that its laws — which make government approval mandatory for the appointment of religious heads — will prevail in the selection of any successor to the Dalai Lama as the head of Tibetan Buddhism.

Following this, the external affairs ministry had clarified that, regarding the reports on the Dalai Lama’s statement on “continuation of the Dalai Lama institution”, the Centre “does not take any position” on matters of faith.

At Sunday’s event, Rijiju, co-chief guest along with his cabinet colleague Rajiv Ranjan Singh, added: “I have… been a strong votary of extending the Government of India’s welfare schemes to the Tibetan community who have lived peacefully over decades in India….”

Rubio said in a statement: “We support efforts to preserve Tibetans’ distinct linguistic, cultural and religious heritage, including their ability to freely choose and venerate religious leaders without interference.”

The loudest cheers came for actor Richard Gere and Obama’s video message. Gere recalled last week’s Tibetan Buddhist Conference here, at the beginning of which the Dalai Lama had announced that his institution would continue.

“Many of the lamas… were openly declaring: ‘Look, His Holiness the Dalai Lama doesn’t belong to Tibet any more. His Holiness belongs to the world’,” Gere said.

This seemed an oblique allusion to the Dalai Lama’s declaration that his reincarnation would be born in the “free world” — understood to exclude Tibet, which is in China.

Later, the Dalai Lama cut a nine-storied sponge cake. Cakes were also distributed among the hundreds of Tibetan schoolchildren at the venue. For others, there was rice cooked with ghee, and dried fruits.

Outside, Indian residents of McLeodganj handed out pooris, halwa and laddus to devotees as they left the temple, clutching memorabilia like badges and caps to mark the day.

The downpour of the last few days had given way to bright sunshine.