Say a prayer for His Holiness

I pray he is not in much discomfort...

(CNN) -- The Dalai Lama was hospitalized Wednesday in western India.

Arriving accompanied by a police escort at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, the 73-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader emerged from his car wearing his trademark red garb, waved to onlookers, and walked without assistance into the entrance.

On Wednesday, a posting on his Web site said the Dalai Lama had been "experiencing some discomfort in the past couple of days" that his physicians attributed to exhaustion and, as a result, would cancel his engagements for the next three weeks.

It said he would instead complete medical tests that were begun earlier this month.

The spokesman for Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital suggested that the visit was an unscheduled one.

"He comes every six months for a routine checkup. Around a month ago, a checkup was conducted, and he was in perfect health," Mohan Rajan told the Associated Press.

"There is no cause for concern," he added.

The Dalai Lama last week inaugurated a Buddhist temple in the south of France and met with French first lady Carla Sarkozy.

"The Dalai Lama is fine, he's just exhausted. He has had a hectic schedule for the last year, with events scheduled almost every day. He just returned from France two days ago," Tempa Tshering, a representative of the Dalai Lama in Delhi, India, told CNN on Wednesday.

He added that the Dalai Lama was "just postponing" the trips he had scheduled for the next three weeks, and will take some time off in Dharamsala, India.

The Dalai Lama's press secretary, Tenzing Takla, told CNN the spiritual leader "has a little bit of discomfort in his stomach. He is going for a checkup now."

Edited:
From His Holiness' website
Published: Friday, 29 August, 2008

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Join Prayers on 30 August 2008


Since arriving in Mumbai yesterday afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama underwent some medical tests. The doctors attending on him have given assurances that there is absolutely no cause for concern. All that he needs is a good rest.


His Holiness will therefore join from Mumbai in the 12-hour fasting and prayers for peace and freedom that are being organized in Dharamsala and elsewhere on Saturday, 30 August 2008 by the Tibetan Solidarity Committee.