Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lama was the head of the Tibetan government. During winter, the Dalai Lamas stayed in the Potala palace. In summer they were in the Norbulingka palace. These two palaces are both in Lhasa, Tibet. In 1959, the Dalai Lama had to flee from Tibet to Dharamsala, India. This is still his base today.