For more than six decades, many Tibetans have been forced to live far from their homeland. They left Tibet because they could not live freely under Chinese rule. Today, large numbers of Tibetans live in exile in India and other countries around the world. Estimates from surveys of the Central Tibetan Administration show that around 128,000 Tibetans live outside Tibet in places such as India, Nepal, Bhutan and many Western countries. Most of these, about 94,000, live in India while others are scattered across the world in small communities. 

The story of Tibet’s exile begins in 1959 after China took control of the region. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and political leader, fled with many followers to India by escaping over the high mountains of the Himalayas because they feared for their safety and freedom. This marked the start of a long period of life in exile for the Tibetan people–one that many fear would never end. 

These Tibetan refugees lost their homes, land, and the normal life they once knew. In exile, they built new settlements, set up schools and tried very hard to keep their culture alive. Yet life outside their homeland has always been difficult. They had to learn new languages, find work and adapt to life........

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