The funds raised will go to support the close to 9,000 monks that live in exile at the Gashar Tawon Khangtsen Monastery in southern India. The original Tibetan monastery was destroyed shortly after the occupation of Tibet and only 9 monks from that monastery managed to escape. Once in India they set to rebuild the monastery and it has grown since. H.H. the Dalai Lama recognizes this monastery as one of the cornerstones for the effort to maintain the Tibetan culture and traditions alive while in exile.
The Tibetan Monks from the Gashar Tawon Khangtsen Monastery live as political refugees in India and their only source of income is through charitable donations. A monk needs $30 US dollars per month to cover his lodging, clothing, food and studies. The monastery houses close to nine thousand monks that require constant funding. The tour is the main source of income for the monastery and for the continued support of thousands of Tibetan exiles that live and study there. The monastery also has a sponsorship program whereby individuals may choose to sponsor a monk through quarterly or bi-yearly donations to the monastery’s account.
