Dharamsala, Mar 9 (IANS): Elderly Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Monday announced to postpone all his engagements indefinitely as a precautionary measure in view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

"As a precautionary measure, all engagements of the Dalai Lama remain indefinitely postponed. Thank you for your understanding," his office said on its official website.

Also, his teachings slated to be held here on Monday has been cancelled.

Tens of thousands people, mostly Westerners and Asians, annually arrive in this Himalayan hill town to lend their ear to the teachings and sermons of the Dalai Lama.

The teachings are free and open to the public.

The Dalai Lama teaches in Tibetan, and there are simultaneous translations in English, Hindi, Chinese and Russian for the participants.

Also as a precaution, authorities of Karmapa's Gyuto Tantric Monastic University at Sidhbari, 10 km from here, have closed it for the public for a month.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese Communist rule in 1959. On reaching India, he first took up residence for about a year in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand, after which he moved to this Himachal Pradesh town where he continues to live.