Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre
A Tibetan craft centre founded in 1959, where visitors can watch carpets, woodcarving and thangka painting being made.
The Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre was established in October 1959 and is one of India's earliest settlement organizations for Tibetan refugees. Visitors can walk through the workshops and watch artisans weave Tibetan carpets, spin wool, carve wood, make leather goods and paint thangkas. A photo exhibition shows the centre's early history. The shop sells carpets, shawls, scarves and other handicrafts at fair prices, and the proceeds support the community. Entry is free, and the centre is closed on Sundays. It is on the hillside toward Lebong in the north of town, about 30 minutes downhill on foot from Chowrasta Mall, so it is best to take a taxi back.
Opening hours
Mon–Sat about 08:00–17:00; closed Sun
Nearby sights
- Bhutia Busty Monastery
- St. Andrew's Church
- Chowrasta Mall
- Happy Valley Tea Estate
- Lloyd's Botanical Garden
- Glenary's
- Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
- Darjeeling Ropeway