Tibetans in Karnatakaby TPMost Tibetans in India live in the northern states and in the capital city of New Delhi. But did you know that some also live on the southwestern coast of India in the state of Karnataka? Some 23,000 Tibetans have lived in Karnataka since the 1960s. These settlements are considered a temporary necessity as long as China controls Tibet.Tibetans in Karnataka live in an area known as Little Tibet in settlements closed to outsiders except by permission. They first came as refugees fleeing the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Others came from Nepal. Whenever and wherever they came from, India provided a haven funded by the “Christian West,” not by Buddhists, despite the presence of monasteries and nunneries in these settlements. They were settled in the jungle which they had to clear for agricultural use. And clear it they did. Their income comes from agriculture, day labor, and reselling sweaters to Indians. In tourist areas Tibetans sell handicrafts or open monasteries to tourists. Learn more at joshuaproject.netPray that these refugee settlements will open up to outsiders and that churches and mission agencies will have access to them and evangelize them. Pray that Christian tourists will witness to these Tibetans and give them Bibles. Pray for a new spiritual openness among Tibetans in India that will lead them to follow Christ alone.