Dalai Lama discharged from Indian hospital

The Tibetan religious leader has been undergoing tests for abdominal discomfort.

The Dalai Lama waves as he leaves hospital, where he has been undergoing tests for abdominal discomfort.

The Dalai Lama was discharged from the hospital where he has been undergoing tests for abdominal discomfort, the Tibetan spiritual leader's spokesman said. The Tibetan religious leader walked out of the hospital smiling and waving to photographers before being taken to a suburban hotel. He is in good condition but doctors have advised him to rest as much as possible and he will remain in Mumbai for several days, said the spokesman, Tenzin Taklha.

The Dalai Lama was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai last week with what his advisers called exhaustion. He recently returned to India from France, and has cancelled trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Mr Taklha spoke to the press from Dharmsala, the north Indian town that has been the Dalai Lama's base since he fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama spends several months a year travelling the globe to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetans' struggle for greater freedom in China.

Since the March outbreak of violence in Tibet, China has stepped up its campaign to vilify the Dalai Lama, blaming him for the unrest, which Beijing says was part of a campaign to split the Himalayan region from the rest of China. The Dalai Lama has denied the allegations, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for Tibet to protect its unique Buddhist culture. * AP