Tibetan Refugees

Scattered all over Nepal, and the mountainous regions of India, are camps of Tibetan refugees who have fled the tyranny of Communist China. Most of these people are extremely poor and survive only off the trinkets and religious icons they sell.

Grandmother and children at a Buddhist stupa.

Tibetans are very proud people and will rarely be seen begging. Mostly they spend their days at Buddhist shrines and stupas. If you were to give them a donation, or "baksheesh", they would thank you with a beautiful chant and see you off with a quiet prayer.

Holy Man on the streets of Kathmandu.

The exodus of Tibetans out of China began a few decades ago when Buddhism was declared an illegal religion. Even the Dalai Lama, the incarnate of Buddha, fled for Dharmasala, India, where he resides to this day. Until Tibet is recognized as an autonomous state by China will this exodus end and Tibetans return to their rightful homeland.

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