About Norbulingka Institute

Norbulingka Institute is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan art and culture in both its literary and artistic forms. Under the guidance of talented masters, we endow artists and craftspeople with ancestral knowledge, providing jobs to a community of over 300 Tibetans.

The dreams that gave rise to the Norbulingka began to emerge in the 1980s, when the Tibetan refugee community had been in exile for nearly 25 years. With the means of physical survival secured, many monasteries re-established and a satisfactory education system set up, thought turned to better preserving of Tibetan identity and cultural roots. After almost three decades of its inauguration, Norbulingka has come to represent a viable cross-section of the Tibetan community at large, where the traditional and modern interact and Tibetan culture and values retain their vibrant potential. We invite visitors to come and explore our beautiful campus and witness first-hand the splendour of Tibetan art.

Norbulingka’s first hotel was Chonor House which began operations in 1993. In the drive to make Chonor House a place for visitors to remember, we decided to custom build all the furniture and give each room a unique theme. This allowed us to be creative and our artists to employ their skills while offering the guests a unique experience during their stay. We have continued this tradition and all our hospitality furniture and décor are created in-house by our artisans giving the hotel a unique Tibetan flavour and an exhibit of the rich artistic ambiance. 

Since then, we added Norling Guesthouse located on site at Norbulingka and Serkong House at Mcleod Ganj. Our three hotels and four restaurants employ a staff of around 80 and make a significant contribution towards preservation of Tibetan art and culture. Norbulingka believes in the preservation and continuation of Tibetan art and culture through self-sustaining means. Our hotels offer an experience of Tibetan culture and hospitality; Tibetans are famous for their friendly warmth and hospitable nature and you will experience it for yourself.

When you stay with us, and give us the chance to serve you, you are making a difference and we thank you for your support and patronage.