The Tibetan Exodus
About the Exhibit
This exhibition of photographs portrays the plight of Tibetan refugees in India following their flight from the Chinese Communist takeover of Tibet in 1959. Mr. Tsepon W. D. Shakabpa was the source of the majority of these photographs. Some were taken by Mr. K. N. Shakabpa, who also provided much of the history surrounding the pictures, especially those taken at the Ladakh Buddh Vihar. He served as a personal assistant and interpreter for Tsepon Shakabpa during this period. He was also the principal translator for Tibet: A Political History, published in 1966 by Yale University Press.
Mrs. Namgyal Lhamo Taklha, sister-in-law of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, identified some of the people and places in these photographs. Mrs. Taklha has been most kind in granting permission to cite references from her book, The Wheel of Life.
Mr. and Mrs. D. N. Tsarong enriched the lives of their children and grandchildren through the example of their social and cultural values. Along with Mr. Tsepon Shakabpa, they were among the people who, by their selfless commitment and dedication, served and guided the Tibetan refugee community through a very difficult period. They were also among the first Tibetans to take part in the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, thus embodying the vision and mission of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Mr. T. W. Shakabpa, Mrs. Norzin Tsarong Shakabpa, Mr. Paljor Shakabpa, and Mrs. Sangye Choden Shakabpa provided unfailing support and encouragement. Also deserving mention are the late Mr. Thupten Taikhang, the late Mrs. Champa Wangmo Thonsur, Mr. T. N. Shakabpa, and Mrs. Chukie Shakabpa Wangdu.
A selection of these photos was originally displayed for one month, beginning July 1, 2008, at the Fair Trade Coffee House in Madison, Wisconsin. To view a letter of thanks from the Office of Tibet in New York, please click here. To read local media coverage of that event, please click here. Members of the Madison Tibetan community deserve special mention for the support and valuable suggestions that they provided during the initial conception of this project as a photo exhibition. These people include Mr. Sharpa Trulku, Mr. Kamlung Trulku, Mr. Ngawang Chojor, Mr. Chung Tsering, Mr. Kalsang Gyatso, Mr. and Mrs. Lobsang Dorje, Mr. and Mrs. Sonam Tenzin, and Mr. Tenzin Monlam.
Matthew Sebranek and Michael Kruse, both of the Center for South Asia at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, devoted much time to this project, and deserve credit for scanning, editing, and ordering the photographs, editing the captions, and developing the web site itself.
Without the sponsorship, assistance, and motivation of Dr. Mark Kenoyer, the Director of the Center for South Asia at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, the goal of this web site would never have been realized.
Finally, credit must be given to Mr. Jigme Deden Shakabpa, the grandson of Tsepon Shakabpa, who spent countless hours at the Center for South Asia and on his own researching the stories and situations of the people and places in these photographs. The information in the photo captions was collected through his hard work and devotion to the project, without which it would never have existed.
It is our hope that this web site will make these images available to audiences worldwide and also preserve them for posterity, allowing younger generations of Tibetans to better understand the sacrifices and hardships that their forbears endured.