Department of Religion & Culture

The Department of Religion and Culture is a ministry office established under the executive organ of the Central Tibetan Administration whose function is to overlook religious and cultural affairs in the Tibetan exile community. It has the responsibility of supervising works aimed at reviving, preserving, and promoting Tibetan religious and cultural heritage that is being led to the verge of extinction in Tibet.

It began its operation in the exile community as Council for Religious Affairs office on April 27, 1959, headed by a Director and constituted by the representative of the four Buddhist schools as its principal members in Mussoorie. On 30th May 1960, the Council for Religious Affairs shifted its office to Dharamsala and on September 12, 1960, it became one of the seven main departments when His Holiness the Dalai Lama formally established the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

Under the affiliation of this department, there are 253 monasteries and 36 nunneries in India, Nepal and Bhutan and also five cultural institutions across India.

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