ABOVE: “The Dalai Lama's party arrives in West Bengal, greeting Tibetan Refugees”
SOURCE: Marilyn Silverstone
SOURCE: Marilyn Silverstone
Exiled Rule from India-
As the Dalai Lama fled to India, many refugees followed him. The Indian town that housed most of the Tibetan refugees,“Dharamsala, came to be known as Little Lhasa”("Dalai Lama" World Religions Reference Library).
With the increasing amount of refugees, the Dalai Lama wanted to preserve the culture and religion of the Tibetan refugees. He “established an educational system to teach his fellow countrymen Tibetan language, history, and culture. . .” and also “[oversaw] the construction of about two hundred Tibetan monasteries in India”("Dalai Lama" World Religions Reference Library).
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ABOVE: “The Dalai Lama gives a speech to Tibetan refugees in India” SOURCE: Marilyn Silverstone |
ABOVE: “The Dalai Lama celebrates the birthday of Lord Buddha for the first time since his arrival in India in exile”
SOURCE: “The Telegraph” |
The Dalai Lama once stated that, “Although the Tibetans outside Tibet have been reduced to the status of refugees, we have the freedom to exercise our rights . . .those of us in exile have had a responsibility to contemplate and plan for a future Tibet”("Buddhism and Democracy”). |
As time went on, “Dharamsala and numerous other bases in India are no longer simple refugee resettlement sites but developed, stable Tibetan communities”(Mullen).