Building began in October 1988 with the gatehouse. The first artists arrived a year later when Temba Chophel and some of his students from Lhasa joined the Institute. They began to decorate the gatehouse in the traditional manner. As the Institute grew, carpenters, woodcarvers and sculptors began to contribute, each in their own way. Meanwhile, many people freshly arrived from Tibet and in search of work and training were taken on. As efficient administration became necessary young Tibetans born and educated in India were employed. Tibetan writers created a literary and cultural research team and began publishing in Tibetan. Within a decade of inauguration in 1995, Norbulingka has come to represent a viable cross-section of the Tibetan community at large, where the traditional and modern interact and Tibetan culture and values retain their vibrant potential.