Revelations and Reflections on Art
The name “norbulingka” is the name of the 18th century palace in Tibet that served as the Dalai Lama’s summer residence. The place that we visited today is the Norbulingka art institute. The architecture and layout are modeled after the original palace, but this place was made for a different purpose.
The Norbulingka Institute is a prestigious art institute that is focused on teaching and preserving Tibetan culture through art. The experience that stuck me about visiting the institute occurred when we were watching the students do their art work. We went into a room filled with painters. They were making traditional Tibetan paintings called Thangka. When we were looking at the students’ art pieces, I was astounded by the complexity and beauty in all of their works. The colorful paintings were some of the most detailed amazing hand made art I had ever seen.
I was already astonished at the skill and mastery displayed in the Thangka learning studio. Our tour guide then took us into the room next door and told us that the people that we just saw had to study for three years before they were allowed to graduate and move to the room that we had just entered. I was genuinely baffled. This was before I had seen any of the masters’ paintings and I couldn’t even picture what more could be done. Then I looked. The art work being produced in that room was without a doubt the most detailed and vibrant art I have ever seen up close.
The craziest part of it all was that the artists were just sitting there quietly working like they weren’t producing some of the best art on the planet. What I gained from this experience is that greatness can come from anywhere. No matter how famous or publicized something is, there is always incredible work that goes somewhat unnoticed. Or at least, unnoticed in my part of the world. I was inspired to see the dedication and skill of these artists and I am so happy I got to see these unique pieces in person.
Adventures in Color and Detail
Today we visited Norbulingka Institute, near Dharmsala. Before we explored the actual site, we ate lunch. The food was mouth-watering, with soft vegetable momos (Tibetan dumplings), warm soup with hand-pulled noodles and carrots (add chili paste or “Sepen” for more bite), black mushroom stew with glass noodles, and more.
After our meal, we were led around Norbulingka by a tour guide. He first led us into a room where people were working on wooden art. The artists used tools in order to carve pictures and details. The pieces were incredibly intricate, with detailed depictions of nature and Buddhist deities. After looking at the wood artists, we took a brief break outside to observe the architecture. There were beautiful water features like golden lion spouts on the gutters and tumbling fountains, koi ponds, and stone lined rivers. The buildings were bright and colorful; they had red, green, and blue lined pillars with gold details and puffy clouds.
After our break, we visited the painters, who were creating traditional sacred art pieces called Thangka paintings. Both the wood art and the painting are considered meditative and take years of training because of the ancient traditional skills needed. For example, painters must mix and use natural pigments. The paintings were also extremely detailed. Often, there was one main focus in the painting, whether that be Buddha or another figure; however, surrounding the figure were hundreds of details. I took pictures and added them because I cannot fully describe the beauty of the Thangka paintings with words.
I found that the artists seemed to have no ego, and this deeply inspired me. These art pieces are so intricate and literally require months to complete. In the US, if an artist mastered this, I believe they would be bragging and selling their pieces for millions. These artists, however, allowed us to view their process, even though we were entering their space.
The grand finale, at least for me, was entering the Tibetan temple, where we discovered an enormous golden Buddha. When you first step inside the temple, you feel the shift in energy. The immaculate and concentrated detail inside this temple was stunning. You can spend hours looking at each intricate detail and not be able to take everything in. Once again, I am adding a picture, because the words to describe the sacred art escape me.
The best part is, you can buy all of the artworks that these artists are making in the highly curated gift shop at Norbulingka. I bought a beautiful mug and a shirt with some of this artwork on it. Overall, Norbulingka was one of my favorite stops thus far.
