UBS Arena in Elmont hosts prayer service for Dalai Lama

NEW YORK - A long life prayer service for the Dalai Lama took place Thursday morning at the UBS Arena in Elmont on Long Island.

The Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey held the event, which is known as a puja.

The Dalai Lama, 89, is in New York recovering from knee replacement surgery that took place in June.

"His Holiness is recovering well," Dr. David Mayman at the Hospital for Special Surgery said earlier this month . "He is working diligently with physical therapy and making great progress. This will continue over the next six to 12 months to optimize his recovery. His Holiness has made significant improvements to date, and we expect this to continue for a full year after surgery."

The Long Island Rail Road added additional train service during the Thursday morning rush hour to accommodate the event, saying 21 trains would make additional stops at Woodside and Elmont-UBS Arena in both directions throughout Thursday morning.

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