The Dalai Lama arrived in the remote town of Tawang, in India’s northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state on Sunday.

Chinese authorities are criticizing India for allowing the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit.

India’s governance of Arunachal Pradesh has long been under dispute. The two countries fought a border war over the region in 1962. The Chinese regime considers it strategically valuable and part of southern Tibet.

The Dalai Lama will stay in the region for a week-long visit.

[Chombay Kii, Tawang Resident]:
"We were very skeptical whether his visit would be possible or not because these decisions are taken at the higher authority at the central level. The government of India takes those decisions—otherwise we were longing to have him here at any cost."

China’s ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, accuses the Dalai Lama of having intentions of, “Splitting the motherland.”

But the Dalai Lama told India's Times Now television, "I'm simply a Buddhist monk and all my conduct where I go (is) basically nonpolitical.”

For the thousands of Buddhist followers who travelled days to see the Tibetan spiritual leader, it was a moment of bliss.

[Sonam, Tawang Resident]:
"He is living the Buddha and he is God for all of us. His coming here means he has helped the whole place of Tawang. So we the public of Tawang are very, very happy and he is god -- and we feel that God has arrived at our place and we are very, very happy."

Tawang is also significant to the Tibetan people as the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama, born in 1683.