From Changistan to Bubble Tea

Overview & Synopsis

After arriving in India in 1959, some Tibetan refugees were temporarily brought to Delhi during the 1962 India–China war and eventually settled in the north-east area called Majnu-ka-Tilla. Never formally recognised as a refugee camp, this area remains an unauthorised colony but gradually developed into a key Tibetan commercial and social hub. The blog post focuses on how shifting place names—such as Majnu-ka-Tilla, MT/MKT, Changistan, New Aruna Nagar, and Samyéling—reflect changing identities, power relations, and everyday practices. Furthermore, it shows how Tibetans continue to assert their presence through the naming of their houses, shops, and guesthouses, symbolically reclaiming urban space and reproducing elements of Tibetan social organisation.