MUMBAI (AFP) — Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is in a stable condition and there is no cause for concern over his health, the private Indian hospital to which he was admitted said Friday.
The 73-year-old spiritual leader was taken to hospital in India's financial hub on Thursday after suffering from exhaustion and complaining of "abdominal discomfort," according to his spokesman.
A statement from his office in Dharamshala, the northern India base of the Tibetan exiles' movement, said there was "absolutely no cause for concern" and that "all that he needs is a good rest."
The hospital said he was undergoing tests.
"He is stable, there is no cause for concern," Lilavati hospital spokesman Mohan Rajan told AFP. "The tests are in progress."
"His Holiness is suffering some abdominal discomfort," the Dalai Lama's spokesman Tenzin Takhla added. "He is not in the intensive care unit. He is in a reserved room."
Takhla said the Nobel Laureate will "probably be discharged" from the hospital later Friday and would join Tibetans in a 12-hour fast on Saturday to draw attention to the human rights situation in their homeland.
In recent weeks the Dalai Lama has been pursuing a gruelling travel itinerary as he campaigned for improved human rights in Tibet while China readied to host the Olympic Games in Beijing.
His office said that his medical condition had forced him to cancel all appointments for three weeks, including planned visits to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
The health scare has prompted special Buddhist prayer meetings in Dharamshala.
Dozens of monks and nuns gathered at the main temple in Dharamshala -- home to the Dalai Lama and his government-in-exile -- to pray for the well-being of their leader.
"Whenever news like this comes out, all Tibetans inside and outside Tibet remain concerned. It is a matter of concern for the future of Tibet," said poet and activist Tenzing Tsundue.
In 2002 the leader of Tibetan Buddhists was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai after falling ill with stomach pains. He was treated with antibiotics.
He also underwent medical tests earlier this month, his office said, without providing further details.
China sent troops into Tibet in 1950 and "liberated" it the following year. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama has been pursuing a "middle-path" policy -- which espouses "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet, rather than full independence as many younger, more radical Tibetan activists are demanding.
Still, China has vilified him as "mastermind" of what it called a drive to sabotage the Olympics and destabilise the country.
Violent protests against Chinese rule broke out across Tibet in March, sparking a heavy Chinese crackdown that has drawn global condemnation.
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