The Dalai Lama turned 90 on Sunday surrounded by thousands of followers, who thronged the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, where the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has been living in exile since fleeing Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959.

The Dalai Lama has announced that he intends to reincarnate, paving the way for a successor to take on a mantle stretching back 500 years after his death.

Celebrations are taking place in McLeodganj on Sunday as the Tibetan community marks the Dalai Lama’s birth anniversary. The events include a religious conference, a youth forum, a film screening, and prayers for the Tibetan spiritual leader’s long life.