News - Stories from the Foothills of the Himalayas – Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture

Chokhor Duchen

Chokhor Duchen

Chokhor Duchen, celebrated on the fourth day of the sixth Tibetan month is one of four major Buddhist holidays. It marks the Buddha’s first turning...

Appliqued Thangka at Norbulingka

Applique is an ancient art from Central Asia. The earliest examples, found in Hun tombs, were felt decorative and utilitarian objects. Later dated ...

Message from Norbulingka

Sagadawa is coming soon. It marks the Buddha’s birthday and is the holiest day of the year, falling on the 15thof the 4thmonth on the Tibetan lunar...

Birds & Fish of Norbulingka

Norbulingka’s lush gardens teem with bird life. Originally terraced fields that grew wheat in winter and rice in summer, they were bordered with an...

Women in Tibetan Buddhism

Women’s day is a day for celebration; and one to reflect on their role and place in Tibetan society. Tibetan religious culture has a unique place f...

The Great Prayer Festival

The Great Prayer Festival, or Monlam Chenmo, was established by Je-Rinpoche, or Tsong Khapa, in Lhasa in 1409. The timing, the first two weeks of t...

Losar - Tibetan New Year

Losar marks the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar; a time to put behind the negative aspects of the old year, make resolut...

Appliqué at Norbulingka

Norbulingka developed the art of applique in a unique way, using traditional motifs to create vibrant pieces for the home. Applique is an ancient c...

Norbulingka's New Year Message

It has been an extraordinary year, shaken by a wave of change that caught us all unaware, and shook us to the core. Norbulingka is reliant on visit...

Richard Gere & Norbulingka

It is with great pleasure that we present our friend Richard Gere’s message. Richard, a Buddhist and a longtime friend of Tibet, has contributed to...

Norbulingka Anniversary Blog Series - Portfolios

Kim Andreolli In the last twenty-five years, a number of photographers have come through Norbulingka, creating stunning imagery that reflected the ...

Norbulingka's Children

Though Norbulingka was inaugurated in 1995, it was a work in process with a growing number of employees, including families, who lived and worked t...

Norbulingka Anniversary Blog Series - Inauguration

The Norbulingka inauguration celebrations began on November 8, 1995, and lasted 3 days. The first was marked by the opening ceremony, presided by H...