Dalai Lama to give 1m pounds Templeton prize money to St Paul's Cathedral

The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, Dalai Lama has announced to give his 1.1 million pound Templeton Prize to St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The prize will be conferred to Dalai Lama in the presence of an audience of over 2,000 on Monday.

The Templeton Prize, which is world's biggest annual award in terms of money , is awarded to given to someone who has contributed extra- ordinarily for the development of the world's understanding of spirituality.

"When I heard your decision to give me this quite famous award, I really felt this is another sign of recognition about my little service to humanity, mainly nonviolence and unity around different religious traditions," The Telegraph has quoted the spiritual leader as saying, after the award was announced. .

The Dalai Lama, who will be visiting St Paul's for the first time, will receive the prize from Dr John M. Templeton, Jr, President and Chairman of the John Templeton Foundation and son of the late Prize founder.

Templeton Prize was founded in the year 1972 by the late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The prize is a milestone for the John Templeton Foundation's international efforts to act as a philanthropic for discoveries associated with the questions of human purpose and reality.

--with inputs from ANI