Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, opened officially on 1st October 1958, is a Tibet museum located in Gangtok. This museum was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. On 10th February, 1957, the foundation stone of this institute was laid by the 14th Dalai Lama.
Known as the promoter of Tibetan culture, history, religion and art, this institute is home to largest collection of Tibetan works outside Tibet. In addition, this institute also has a museum, which is located on the ground floor. The museum houses a wide collection of thangkas and statues. Ancient manuscripts in different languages such as Sanskrit, Lepcha, Chinese and Tibetan are also included in the collection displayed in the museum.
One of the most important items that is showcased in the museum includes the huge silver idol of Manjushri, who is the Bodhisattva of Knowledge. The treasures of this museum also include the sandalwood idols of Padmasambhava and the relics of two Ashokan missionaries, Madhyama and Kasyapagotra.
The institute also houses the Tibetan Library, which is located in the main building. The library is home to one of the largest collections of Tibetan works. In addition, the library also includes more than 60,000 titles, which have been translated from original Sanskrit and Pali works to Tibetan. The books available in this library are meant for reference and no one carry these books out.