Museum of Goa to Host Landmark Exhibition on Tibetan Exile, Identity and Cultural Survival
~ Refuge, Resilience, and Rights: The Tibetan Story, co-curated with the Tibet Museum, to open March 1 as part of The Infinite Ripple – 90 Years of Compassion.
Panaji, February 2026 — Historical objects, personal narratives, archival photographs and community voices linked to the Tibetan struggle will be spotlighted at the Museum of Goa (MOG) soon, as the Pilerne-based museum hosts Refuge, Resilience, and Rights: The Tibetan Story, a landmark exhibition examining exile, identity and cultural survival.
Co-curated and presented by the Tibet Museum and the Museum of Goa as part of ‘The Infinite Ripple – 90 Years of Compassion,’ the eight-day exhibition will open on March 1 and remain on public view until March 8, 2026. The exhibition brings together contributions from institutions, independent collectors and members of the Tibetan diaspora, offering a rare and deeply personal look at how Tibetan culture has endured and evolved since the community’s forced exile.
“We chose to present an exhibition on Tibetan exile because exile is not just a political condition, but a deeply human experience of displacement, resilience and identity. Tibet’s story raises universal questions about preserving culture away from one’s homeland and sustaining memory across generations. As a cultural institution, we believe it is important to create space for voices shaped by migration and history,” said Sharada Kerkar, director of the Museum of Goa.
The exhibition is supported by The Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama and the Vimson Shivanand Salgaocar Group, and forms part of a wider programme of talks, film screenings and cultural events designed to deepen public engagement with Tibetan history and contemporary realities.
The exhibition traces the journey of Tibetans from their displacement in the mid-20th century to the realities of contemporary Tibetan communities in India and across the world. It explores how culture is preserved without territory, sustained through memory, lived practice and community institutions, while foregrounding Tibetan voices and lived experiences.
The opening day on March 1 will feature a talk by Professor Varun Sahni titled Compassion in a Complex and Often Cruel World, followed by the launch of the book Voice for the Voiceless and a guided walkthrough of the exhibition. Daily guided walkthroughs will be held from March 3 to 7, offering visitors deeper insight into the stories and materials on display.
The exhibition will conclude on March 8 with talks by Karma Thupten and photographer Kishore Thukral, and a traditional Blackhat Dance performance by monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery.
