Location and buildings

NNI is situated in the Mysore District of Karnataka State, South India. It is two hours journey by bus from the city of Mysore and five hours from Bangalore. To reach here, one should get down at Kushalnagar, the nearest Indian town, and ask for the fourth Tibetan Settlement Camp. NNI is four and a half kilometers from Kushalnagar, located next to the fourth Settlement camp and environed by green fields and trees, stupas and prayer flags. Spring is usually hot and dry in south India but the rest of the seasons are favorable and pleasant. Taxi is easiest, bus is least expensive.

NNI has a number of classrooms and prayer­halls for its own uses. However, it is running short of classrooms and therefore taking classes in some of the prayer halls in the monastery. Large functions, which the Institute cannot contain in its prayer halls are held in the central hall of the monastery.

Food and Accomodation

Since NNI is a charitable education foundation, all food and accommodation are given free of cost. Unlike all other colleges, this is free of fees of any kind. There are five or six large kitchens in the entire Namdrölling Monastery's complex feeding over one and half thousand people daily. The Institute has its own kitchen and cooks. Each year, two senior students are appointed as mess secretaries and every one of the students must help the cooks for two weeks by doing light manual works and by serving food. The service is comprised of breakfast, lunch, and supper as well as tea three times a day. Meals served here are usually common Tibetan and Indian dishes.

NNI has three big buildings with over one hundred and fifty rooms to accommodate its members. Khenpos, tulkus and assistant teachers are normally given a room each whereas most of the students share a room with another colleague. Due to the shortage in accommodation, the Institute was forced during the 1995 session to keep forty­three residential students outside the Institute premises dwelling in the monastery's apartments. Accommodation had become a major problem in the Institute with the number of students increasing so fast. New facilities have been built, however, they are still limited.

Health Facilities

The monastery has a small dispensary where minor health problems are treated. A doctor from the neighboring Indian town comes to the dispensary for two hours every day. The monastery also has a group of elder monks appointed to take care of sick monks who need both physical and financial help. In case of major diagnosis and treatment, the monks go to the proximate Indian towns where better hospitals and clinics are available. The Tibetan Settlement in Bylakuppe has its own branch of Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute for those who prefer indigenous treatment. Ayurvedic physicians and medicines are also available in the Indian towns.