Norbulingka Institute
Encyclopedia
The Norbulingka Institute was founded in 1988 by the present 14th Dalai Lama
at Sidhpur, near Dharamsala
, India
. The institute is dedicated to the preservation of the Tibetan
language and cultural heritage
.
, the traditional summer residence of the Dalai Lama
s, in Lhasa
, Tibet. The main building is a replica of the Norbulingka palace in Lhasa.
(CTA), the institute contains the Centre for Arts, the Academy of Tibetan Culture, the Literary and Cultural Research Centre and the library and publications department. The Norbulingka Foundation was established in 1995 for the preservation of ancient art practices of Tibet, especially crafts. The institute also runs two Tibetan retreats, one Norling inside the institutes premises and other Chonor House, at McLeod Ganj
, near the Dalai Lama's temple.
The Centre for Arts, offers training in tibetan statue making, thangka
painting, printing, applique and tailoring, wood carving, wood and metal craft .
The Academy of Tibetan Culture, established in 1997, offers a six year course of higher education in traditional Tibetan studies .
The institute also has the two-storeyed 'Seat of Happiness Temple' (Deden Tsuglakhang) built in 1985 and set amidst the Japanese inspired Norbulingka gardens. It is known for its 1,173 murals of Buddha, frescoes of all the Dalai Lama
s and drawings chronicling the life of the 14th Dalai Lama
. In the main hall stands the 4 mt high gilded copper Budddha Sakyamuni statue, made by institute's master statue-maker, Pemba Dorje, and one of largest such statues outside Tibet. Around the temple are workshops of artisans and apprentices, which produce various handicrafts, also sold at the Norbulingka Gift Shop and Showroom, for the benefit of Tibetan refugees.
The Losel Doll Museum has diorama
displays of traditional Tibetan scenes, using miniature Tibetan dolls in traditional costumes. .
A short distance from the institute lies the Dolma Ling Buddhist nunnery , and the Gyato Monastery, temporary residence of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
at Sidhpur, near Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The institute is dedicated to the preservation of the Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
language and cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
.
Etymology
The institute is named after NorbulingkaNorbulingka
Norbulingka is a palace and surrounding park in Lhasa, Tibet, built from 1755. It served as the traditional summer residence of the successive Dalai Lamas from the 1780s up until the 14th Dalai Lama's exile in 1959...
, the traditional summer residence of the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
s, in Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, Tibet. The main building is a replica of the Norbulingka palace in Lhasa.
Overview
Founded by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan AdministrationCentral Tibetan Administration
The Central Tibetan Administration , is an organisation based in India with the stated goals of "rehabilitating Tibetan refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet". It was established by the 14th Dalai Lama in 1959 shortly after his exile from Tibet...
(CTA), the institute contains the Centre for Arts, the Academy of Tibetan Culture, the Literary and Cultural Research Centre and the library and publications department. The Norbulingka Foundation was established in 1995 for the preservation of ancient art practices of Tibet, especially crafts. The institute also runs two Tibetan retreats, one Norling inside the institutes premises and other Chonor House, at McLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj, McLeodGanj, or Mcleodganj, is a suburb of Dharamshala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It has an average elevation of 2,082 metres ....
, near the Dalai Lama's temple.
The Centre for Arts, offers training in tibetan statue making, thangka
Thangka
A "Thangka," also known as "Tangka", "Thanka" or "Tanka" is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting...
painting, printing, applique and tailoring, wood carving, wood and metal craft .
The Academy of Tibetan Culture, established in 1997, offers a six year course of higher education in traditional Tibetan studies .
The institute also has the two-storeyed 'Seat of Happiness Temple' (Deden Tsuglakhang) built in 1985 and set amidst the Japanese inspired Norbulingka gardens. It is known for its 1,173 murals of Buddha, frescoes of all the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
s and drawings chronicling the life of the 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
. In the main hall stands the 4 mt high gilded copper Budddha Sakyamuni statue, made by institute's master statue-maker, Pemba Dorje, and one of largest such statues outside Tibet. Around the temple are workshops of artisans and apprentices, which produce various handicrafts, also sold at the Norbulingka Gift Shop and Showroom, for the benefit of Tibetan refugees.
The Losel Doll Museum has diorama
Diorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
displays of traditional Tibetan scenes, using miniature Tibetan dolls in traditional costumes. .
A short distance from the institute lies the Dolma Ling Buddhist nunnery , and the Gyato Monastery, temporary residence of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.
Further reading
- The Norbulingka Institute, by Portal to Asian Internet Resources (Project), Published by The Norbulingka Institute. 1995.
- Norbulingka: The First Ten Years of an Adventure, by Jeremy Russell, Nor-glin Bod kyi rig gźun gces skyon khan, Dharmsala, India. Published by Norbulingka Institute, 2006.
External links
- Norbulingka Institute website
- Norbulingka Institute at Central Tibetan AdministrationCentral Tibetan AdministrationThe Central Tibetan Administration , is an organisation based in India with the stated goals of "rehabilitating Tibetan refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet". It was established by the 14th Dalai Lama in 1959 shortly after his exile from Tibet...
- Collection of Norbulingka Institute