Dharamsala, June 23 (IANS): The Himachal government on Tuesday decided to rename the road from McLeodganj, the official residence town of the Dalai Lama, to Dharamsala via Gangchen Kyishong as the Potala Road, a Central Tibetan Administration statement said.

The road has been named after the Potala Palace, the Dalai Lama's chief residence in Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region, which he fled in 1959.

The road was renamed on the occasion of the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday, which was celebrated on June 21, it said.

"I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for this beautiful gesture on the part of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and the people of the state," Lobsang Sangay, the democratically elected leader of the Tibetan people, was quoted as saying.

"The new Potala Road is a powerful symbolism reflecting His Holiness the Dalai Lama's return to the Potala Palace in Tibet from this Potala Road in Dharamsala, fulfilling the fervent prayers of all the Tibetan people residing inside and outside Tibet to see him return to Tibet with dignity," he added.

Earlier known as Jogiwara Road, the road is now widened and renovated with seven-inch concrete to withstand the long monsoon of Dharamsala, notorious for its high-density rainfall.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based here.