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Construction site in the early days

Great care and planning goes into construction and landscaping at Norbulingka Institute.

The elaborate appearance of the Tibetan-influenced buildings is accomplished at low cost using inexpensive local materials. Labour costs in this rural area are minimal, and the work provides much-needed employment for local people. The extensive artistic embellishments are applied by the thangka painters and apprentices to enhance the beauty of the Norbulingka Institute. For the apprentices, this work is part of their training. The task also provides our artists with invaluable experience, as the painting of architectural murals and decoration is quite different from work done on canvas.

Picnic in the Norbulingka gardens

The Japanese architects who designed the buildings of Norbulingka Institute also planned the beautifully landscaped gardens. Mountain stream water flows through the grounds, providing water to the many varieties of plants, while helping to cool the environment in the hot Indian summers. Existing trees were preserved, providing a haven for the exotic birds of the area and giving Norbulingka Institute a look of stability and history that goes beyond its actual years.