The Dalai Lama formed a sort of government in exile in the settlement McLeod Ganj near the Indian city of Dharamshala. It is located in northern India, at the foot of the Himalayas.
On this day in 1959, the Dalai Lama emigrated from Tibet to India after the failed Tibetan Uprising. He set off from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, back on 17 March, accompanied by around 20 people, including six ministers. The Dalai Lama allegedly crossed the Tibet-India border near Khenzimana Pass. Of course, in order to move from Tibet to India, one must cross the Himalayas, and after that feat the Dalai Lama found a temporary refuge in the Tawang Monastery (one of the largest in India).
The Dalai Lama formed a sort of government in exile in the settlement McLeod Ganj near the Indian city of Dharamshala. It is located in northern India, at the foot of the Himalayas. The city of Dharamshala is relatively close to the Kashmir area, and McLeod Ganj is sometimes called “Little Lhasa”. Many Tibetan emigres live there.
The Dalai Lama still lives on the Dharamshale area today. His Tibetan government has a prime minister, and the holder of that office today is Lobsang Sangay. The title of prime minister is called “sikyong” in Tibetan, which roughly means “political leader” (as opposed to spiritual leader).
