Braving chilly weather, thousands of Tibetans and local residents lined up on the road leading to the Tawang Monastery for a chance to see the 74-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader.

The Dalai Lama, who arrived by helicopter from Guwahati in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, was received at the helipad by Dorjee Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China, and his Cabinet colleagues.

The Dalai Lama's motorcade made three stops during a 10-kilometer journey to the Tibetan monastery where the Tibetan spiritual leader blessed the people who turned out to welcome him.

The entire snow-clad town of Tawang, located at a height of 3,000 meters, was decked out with colorful posters of the Dalai Lama.

The 400-year-old Tawang Monastery is the second-largest Tibetan monastery in India. The Dalai Lama has made three previous visits to Tawang, where he took refugee after fleeing from Tibet in 1959. He traveled to the town in 1983, 1997 and 2003.

The Indian government has allowed the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang despite strong protests from China, saying the Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and is free to visit anywhere in India.

China has accused the Dalai Lama of ruining Chinese-Indian relations by visiting Tawang.

The northeastern border state of Arunchal Pradesh is claimed in full by China. India and China are currently engaged in talks to resolve border disputes that include Arunachal Pradesh.