According to archival sources, when the Government of India was organizing the celebration of the 2500th birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha in 1955, Bakula Rinpoche led an official delegation to Tibet, and on his return had a three-hour meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

At this meeting, Bakula Rinpoche gave a detailed account of the situation in Tibet, including the fact that Ladakhis could no longer travel there to pursue their religious education.

Accordingly, the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies was established with the holy rituals performed by Skyabje Ling Rinpoche, the senior tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama.

Leh was chosen as the centre for the dissemination of Buddhist culture and philosophy in view of its geographical suitability and traditional matrix.

In 1962, at Kushok Bakula Rinpoche’s urging, Prime Minister Nehru was fully persuaded of the necessity for such an institution for the Buddhists living in the Himalayas.

Sanskrit, Hindi, English and Pali languages were introduced, in addition to the teaching of Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan literature.