Namgyal Institute of Tibetology

The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT), Gangtok, Sikkim is an important reference centre in the world of Buddhist scholarship. It houses a museum, a Tibetan library and a general reference centre on Tibet and the Himalayas.

The Institute is located in Deorali, to the south of central Gangtok. The opening hours are from 10 am to 4 pm from Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sundays, every month's second Saturday and on official Sikkim government holidays.

The site on which the institute was established was donated by the late Chogyal (king) of Sikkim Sir Tashi Namgyal in memory of his departed son Paljor Namgyal. The foundation stone of the institute was laid by the 14th Dalai Lama on the 10th of February 1957 and the institute was declared open by the late Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the 1st of October 1958. The building of the institute is an imposing monument and a splendid example of Sikkimese architecture.

An international inter-disciplinary seminar on Sikkim will be held at the institute sometime 2004 in honour of famous Sikkimese scholars in Tibetan studies. Scholars interested to participate should contact the NIT on: nitsikkim@yahoo.co.in. It is hoped that the seminar will generate interest in Sikkimese studies and facilitate the establishment of an international association for Sikkimese studies based at the institute.

More details on its museum, library, lecture series, language classes & seminars:
main website

Internal links

• Bulletin Contents The Institute publishes a Bulletin of Tibetology. Here is a list of contents from 1964-2004.