Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has consistently emphasized the significance of preserving and conserving the experiential accounts of the elder generation. It is in accordance with this profound guidance that the Oral History Department was established in 1976 by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. Since then the department has been diligently documenting the oral histories through video and audio recordings. These recordings include the invaluable oral narratives of both lay and ordained seniors residing in Tibetan refugee communities across Nepal, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Ladakh etc. So far, the department has published 53 books.
Specifically this year, under the generous grant provided by The Tibet Fund, two staff each from our department and the audio-visual department spent three and half months (from the 15th of April 2023 till the 1st of August 2023) and managed to record the life stories of 90 elderly individuals which included senior members from the monasteries and the lay community of Mundgod Tibetan Settlement.
The department hopes to continue to undertake this very important project covering other Tibetan settlements and communities in various places depending upon availability of funds.
