Sukhendu Bhattacharya

Tawang, Nov 7 (PTI) Cooks have been trained for a month to serve the Dalai Lama's favourite fare, while gifts are being stocked for him for a year in this picturesque Arunachal town, set to welcome the Tibetan spiritual leader tomorrow.

"The Dalai Lama's favourite dishes cannot be disclosed, but cooks have been training for a month to prepare them," head of the Tawang Monastery Tulku Rimpoche told PTI.

The monastery authorities also have in store a large number of gifts including scriptures, miniature replicas of stupas, sculptures and flowers.

"The gifts were being readied for the last one year and will be presented to the Dalai Lama when he comes here," Rimpoche said. "Nearly 600 monks will welcome his Holiness when he comes here straight from the helipad tomorrow morning," he said.