May 27 2025 to May 27 2025 6:30 p.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

This conversation between writer and journalist Tsering Namgyal Khortsa and educator Ngawang Gyatso will explore themes of exile, identity, memory, and belonging within the Tibetan diaspora. Focusing on the lived experience of Tibetans beyond the spiritual lens often associated with their narrative, the session will examine how literature becomes a space for cultural preservation, political reflection, and personal inquiry.

Tsering Namgyal Khortsa is the author of Little Lhasa: Reflections on Exiled Tibet, a collection of essays and interviews that chronicle the diverse voices and realities of the Tibetan exile community. From political activism and Buddhist practice to filmmaking and English-language literature, the book presents a vivid portrait of life in Dharamsala, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, and the evolving identity of a people navigating displacement.

His novel Tibetan Suitcase follows Dawa Tashi, an India-born Tibetan, as he journeys across continents and inner worlds, exploring questions of love, cultural inheritance, and spiritual searching. Told through letters and journal entries, the novel captures the poignancy of existing between worlds, without a homeland, but anchored by memory and longing.

Together, the conversation offers a window into Tibetan life as it is lived today—in exile, in continuity, and in search of home. A Q&A with the audience ll follow.

This conversation is part of our three day Tibet festival, titled, Where the Sky Meets the Himalayas: Stories from Tibet. The festival invites audiences into the lived experience of a people shaped by exile, resilience, and enduring cultural identity. Through conversations, film, performance, visual art, and cuisine, the festival explores how Tibetans continue to tell their stories—across borders and generations. It is a tribute to the strength of a culture that survives in song, ritual, memory, and the written word.

Speakers

Tsering Namgyal Khortsa
Author
Tsering Namgyal Khortsa is a novelist and journalist. He is the author of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje: A Biography (Hay House, 2013). He holds an MA in journalism from the University of Iowa and studied creative and literary non-fiction writing. He is based in Dehradun, India.

Ngawang Gyatso
Dean of Regular Studies, Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education
Ngawang Gyatso is an academic with over a decade of teaching experience in Indian History and the History of Modern China and Japan. He currently serves as Dean of Regular Studies at the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education, Bangalore.

He holds degrees from Loyola College and Madras Christian College, and is a PhD scholar at Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore. His research focuses on the History of Modern Tibet, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tibetan diaspora in Karnataka. Ngawang has presented at national and international conferences and serves on the Board of Examiners at Surana College, Bangalore.