Between Two Homelands: Tibetan Refugees In Odisha Hold On To Hope After 65 Years In Exile
Across maize fields and winter markets of Gajapati, Tibetan refugees rebuild their lives while carrying decades of longing for a homeland lost but never forgotten.
Published : December 9, 2025 at 12:33 PM IST
By Samir Kumar Acharya
Mahendragarh, Gajapati: “Even today, we pin hope that we will be called back to our country,” says 72-year-old Tsering Yangzom as she wraps a colourful knitted sweater for a customer in Berhampur’s Tibetan Wool Market. For 65 years, her life, like that of about 2,500 Tibetan refugees living across the five settlements of Mahendragarh, has been shuttling between two worlds: the homeland Tibet she dreams of and the home that Odisha has been since decades.
They arrived here in the 1960s when things had turned worse for them back home. They were exhausted, frightened, and fled an occupied homeland where countless Tibetans who were spreading messages of peace were attacked, arrested or tortured. India opened its doors, placing some groups of refugees in the lush green hills of Gajapati district. Over time, these five villages have turned into a beautiful settlements with government support. They built small homes, cultivated land and slowly picked up pieces of their lives. Still the emotional distance from Tibet has always haunted them.
“We have got everything here, food, work and even ration cards. The Indian government treats us with dignity. But we have not registered as Indian citizens because we hope one day our country will call us back,” says Mtcs Tashi Tsering, his voice shaking between gratitude and longing.
A Life Woven Between Seasons
Every winter, for three months the Tibetan Refugee Wool Markets come alive across cities like Berhampur, Cuttack, and Visakhapatnam. Bright woollen caps, jackets, socks and shawls, some hand-woven, some sourced from Amritsar are found aplenty across the stalls. For locals, these markets are an integral part of winter but for the refugees, these three months are crucial to earn a good income.
“Winter clothes are our winter business. This year has been better. People know our prices are fixed and fair,” says Singh Wanuchuni, who has been selling in Berhampur for 40 years.
After the wool season ends, families return to Mahendragarh, where they grow maize close to the mountains. Maize cultivation is the backbone of their livelihood. They harvest it, ground into flour, sell as seed and store for months of use. But weather is a big deciding factor.
“When it rains all of a sudden, our crops suffer a lot. But because the government gives us training, we have become self-reliant,” says another farmer.
Those who are not farming or selling wool are working in voluntary organisations. Many have served in the Indian Army while some have retired with honour. A few youngsters have moved abroad. Life in these settlement speak of a dilemma - to accept life as is or hope for the hopeless.
A Celebration of Faith and Identity
In Jirang, considered the largest Tibetan settlement, celebrations have begun for the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama, which will continue till July 2026. People pray each morning for his long life and for peace in Tibet, a land they still call home even though many have no way to contact relatives left behind.
“We do not know where many of our loved ones are imprisoned. My father and grandfather lived there. Now so many memories have faded,” says Tashi Tsering with pathos in the voice. Some refugees once tried to obtain passports to visit Tibet, but they were not given permission. "Even if we want to go just to see our birthplace, there is no way we can do that,” he says.
Waiting for a Call That May Never Come
Odisha has been home to these families for six decades. The government offers ration, access to work, and land for cultivation. But now, refugees are being encouraged to register as Indian citizens, a step most have avoided. “If we register, it feels like we are giving up hope. We still believe our country will take us back. But when China is so powerful and mediation has failed, what can our small homeland do?” says Yangzom.
Though thousands of Tibetans remain in prisons back home, here communication is restricted. But that has not stopped them from dreaming.
Every winter in Berhampur, when refugees arrange colourful woollen sweaters on bamboo racks, customers see only the warmth of the clothes. But behind those bright colours lies the angst of people who have built lives in a foreign land while keeping an undying candle lit for a homeland they may never see again. And so they live - farming, knitting, praying and waiting. Waiting for a call that may or may not ever come.
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