Dalai Lama appears before thousands after 'exhaustion' break

The Dalai Lama has appeared before tens of thousands of his followers.

He attended the highest worship ceremony of Tibetan Buddhists following his break for exhaustion.

He looked healthy as he prayed and hummed in Gaya, India.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary troops, on high alert against possible terrorist attacks, silently watched the ceremonies in the town.

The spiritual leader was unable to lead the Kalchakra, or Wheel of Time, prayers when the ceremonies began on Monday, because he had been advised to rest for three days.

He has been suffering exhaustion and stomach pain.

The Dalai Lama had been resting at a Buddhist monastery in Bodhgaya, the complex of temples marking the site where Buddhists believe the founder of their religion, Gautama Siddhartha, received enlightenment and was known as the Buddha.

Thousands of Tibetan refugees assembled for the ceremony, holding traditional white silk scarves, hours before the Dalai Lama was to arrive.

He is scheduled to appear in joint prayers on Saturday with the Karmapa, 16-year-old Ugyen Thinley Dorje. They are two of the three most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism.