Tibetan refugees
Tibet has been a land shrouded in mysticism for centuries, ruled from the fabled Potala Palace by the reincarnation of a god-king, the Dalai Lama. This Tibet no longer exists. With the Chinese communist invasion of 1950 came the end of a unique and timeless culture and lifestyle. Within less than 30 years, the majority of the country’s population has been forced to leave from their homes. Since 1959 when Tibet’s leader, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India, Tibetans in exile have managed to keep their culture and language alive.
In 2008 when I traveled to Nepal I tried to reach Lhasa but at that time that was not possible due to the Tibetan protests during the Olympics. Nepal is the second country (after India) that has granted asylum for Tibetan refugees. Fortunately, in Kathmandu I lived in the hotel of a Tibetan family. I tasted their specific preparations; I saw their temples and visited a Tibetan refugee camp. In November 2014 I succeeded reaching Dharamsala, the heart of the Tibetan diaspora and also the home of the Tibet’s government-in-exile. Here I met the most important Tibetan community, I visited some Tibetan schools and I even had the privilege to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself.
Now, more than ever, the Tibetan community is in need of his humbleness and guidance, as they face over 50 years of exile from their own home country. The last generation that has memories of life in Tibet is approaching its final stages of life, while Tibetan youth are increasingly adapting to Indian lifestyles and language in exchange of acceptance from those who have given them refuge. To them, everything they know about the land of snow and gods is from stories told by their grandfathers and grandmothers.
Dharamshala, India, 2014
Tibetan refugees
Tibet has been a land shrouded in mysticism for centuries, ruled from the fabled Potala Palace by the reincarnation of a god-king, the Dalai Lama. This Tibet no longer exists. With the Chinese communist invasion of 1950 came the end of a unique and timeless culture and lifestyle. Within less than 30 years, the majority of the country’s population has been forced to leave from their homes. Since 1959 when Tibet’s leader, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India, Tibetans in exile have managed to keep their culture and language alive.
In 2008 when I traveled to Nepal I tried to reach Lhasa but at that time that was not possible due to the Tibetan protests during the Olympics. Nepal is the second country (after India) that has granted asylum for Tibetan refugees. Fortunately, in Kathmandu I lived in the hotel of a Tibetan family. I tasted their specific preparations; I saw their temples and visited a Tibetan refugee camp. In November 2014 I succeeded reaching Dharamsala, the heart of the Tibetan diaspora and also the home of the Tibet’s government-in-exile. Here I met the most important Tibetan community, I visited some Tibetan schools and I even had the privilege to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself.
Now, more than ever, the Tibetan community is in need of his humbleness and guidance, as they face over 50 years of exile from their own home country. The last generation that has memories of life in Tibet is approaching its final stages of life, while Tibetan youth are increasingly adapting to Indian lifestyles and language in exchange of acceptance from those who have given them refuge. To them, everything they know about the land of snow and gods is from stories told by their grandfathers and grandmothers.
Dharamshala, India, 2014