His Holiness the Dalai Lama strongly felt that because we are in exile, we should render maximum help to the Himalayan states in religious and cultural matters.  The people of this Himalayan state have a strong religious and cultural contact with Tibet for many centuries and it was felt amongst the people there, that a culture center would be of great value in the region in the near future.  In 1996 Men-Tsee-Khang decided to set up a culture center, it was inaugurated on 30 June 2003 at Leh, Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir. The Centre will emphasize Tibetan Medicine and the Astrological tradition. It will also include those aspects of Tibetan Religion and Culture which are unique and attract great interest amongst scholars, researchers and historians.

The Centre has a Museum, Library, Lecture Hall, and a Clinic.

Museum
The museum houses a variety of collections mainly relating to Tibetan medicine, astronomy and astrology.  It exhibits the medical text, raw ingredients in the form of herbs and minerals; medicines, the tools and medical instruments used in therapy and astrological text, almanac and instruments used in different calculations like measuring time, mandala of four elements and representing the formation of universe etc.

Thangkas, such as the medicinal tree illustrating the allegorical and diagnosis trees, a thanka illustrating the nerves and how they interact with the body, a thanka illustrating the number of bones in the body.  Various thangkas used in astrology for protection, Universe Formation, Mandala of four elements and Kalachakra are also exhibited in the center.  Besides the exhibits in medical and astrological fields, there are other religious and cultural exhibits, which are unique and are of great interest to scholars and tourists.

Library
The library has a stock of books on Tibetan Medicine and Astrology, Tibetan Buddhism and Culture, Tibet and Tibetans and those relating to the Himalayan regions, especially Ladakh.

Lecture Hall
The hall has a capacity of 100-150 people and is well equipped with all the required facilities.   A series of lectures, short-term courses, sermons etc., especially relating to Tibetan medicine and astrology will be one of the important activities of the Centre.  Apart from lectures and teachings in Tibetan Medicine and Astrology, there will be similar lectures in other aspects of Tibetan culture.

Clinic
In order to provide a health care facility a clinic has also been opened in the center.  The Cultural Centre is more closer and convenient for those residing in Leh, proper and to the Leh Civil Hospital.  Hence many patients can take advantage of the Tibetan medicine and also be of great benefit to the tourists during the peak season.