Inside the government-in-exile compound, nearly 2km downhill from the Tsuglakhang Complex, the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives began life as a collection of sacred manuscripts saved from the Cultural Revolution. Today it has over 100,000 manuscripts, books and documents in Tibetan, and over 13,000 volumes on Tibet, Buddhism and the Himalayan region in English and other languages.
Upstairs is a fascinating cultural museum with statues, old Tibetan artefacts and books, and some astonishing three-dimensional mandalas in wood and sand.
Regular library visitors can become temporary members (₹100 per month for reading; ₹300 per month plus ₹1000 deposit for borrowing; passport photocopy needed for ID) to access the foreign-language collection.
Also worth a visit is the colourful Nechung Gompa below the library building, home to the Tibetan state oracle. Nearby, Nechung Cafe is an excellent spot for lunch.
Taxis from the Secretariat entrance charge ₹100 to McLeod or Dharamsala.
