• More than 600 taped interviews with senior Tibetans, recording both religious and secular life in audio and video formats
• Publication of selected oral histories in book form
The oral history project began in 1976 in order to create a record of Tibetan life as lived by Tibetans and to capture for posterity orally transmitted aspects of Tibetan culture. The project has since amassed a several-thousand-strong collection of taped interviews with elders, lamas and other religious figures, craftspeople, doctors and astrologers, storytellers, traders and pilgrims. Oral traditions are particularly susceptible to permanent loss, should their transmission be interrupted. Some of the oral records archived are unique, traditionally passed only from one person to another. Recording them has secured their preservation for the future.
The oral history collections contain, among other things, thousands of hours of teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama; accounts of the journey from Tibet to India; Tibetan proverbs and stories; explanations of Tibetan healing methods; and descriptions of traditional dress, costumes, ornaments, songs and dances.
The project is unique in that it documents important aspects of folk culture in India and Tibet in the Tibetan language. A series of transcripts and English translations of selected interviews is published, with 23 volumes to date. However, as potential interviewees grow older and more fragile, priority has been given to recording their personal narratives. The department maintains a computerized catalogue of its recordings.
For more information  E-MAIL EDITOR (Mr. Wangdue Tsering)
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