Category Archives: Report

The Retreat Center at Shugsep Nunnery is Completed!

Eight Nuns Start Retreat

On March 30, 2026, eight nuns began their retreat following an initial ritual ceremony led by Rinpoche Jigme Namgyal from Tso Pema at Rewalsar. He also conducted the first three days of basic teachings on retreat practice for the nuns entering retreat.

Part of the ceremony for the nuns entering retreat on March 30, 2026 at the new retreat center at Shugsep Nunnery. Until now, the nuns had to travel to Nepal or Tso Pema to practice retreat.

All eight nuns on retreat have previous retreat experience, so they are prepared for long and intensive practice. The initial group of nuns includes six newly enthroned Khenmos and two Lopenmas who are trained teachers and practitioners.

Before entering retreat, one of the Khenmos spoke about her happiness and readiness to begin. She said that, as a retreat continues, she feels more happiness, inner peace, and mental clarity. As the mind settles and distractions fade, practitioners feel a deeper sense of contentment through simplicity, discipline, and steady awareness. She also said that practicing retreat helps turn intellectual understanding into direct experience, giving her and the other nuns the focused, disciplined time needed to truly absorb and apply what they’ve learned. Thus, the retreat is not merely an academic or ritual engagement, but a deeply experiential process aimed at transforming the practitioner’s mind at its core.

8 senior nuns entering retreat at Shugsep Nunnery spring 2026

Here are the 8 nuns (6 Khenmos and 2 Lopenmas) who entered retreat on March 30, 2026 – the first to use the new retreat center.

The most enduring benefit is the strengthening of teaching capacity within the nunnery. Many of the nuns who will use the retreat center are holders of the Loponma degree, the highest degree in their tradition. Following their retreats, they will be fully qualified to guide junior nuns and contribute to the wider community. This creates a sustainable cycle of study, retreat, and teaching that secures Shugsep’s role as a respected Nyingma institution.

Here is a video made by the nuns explaining the importance of practicing retreat. If you can’t see the video, click here.

A Special Message from the Khenpo

After spending years learning and contemplating the sutra and tantra texts, one has to gain direct insight by applying the teachings to one’s personal experience. For this, one has to consciously distance oneself from the outer world, which will help retreat from the distractions of the mundane world. Retreat is considered a powerful and essential method for cultivating inner peace, wisdom, and ultimately, liberation.

The example of Buddha himself serves as a powerful illustration; he spent six years in intensive retreat prior to his awakening. Post his liberation, he would periodically retreat into the forest for weeks and months of meditation before returning to continue teaching and guiding others in their practice.

Tibetan prayers Shugep retreat center opening Spring 2026

Spiritual retreats are considered essential for the development of one’s personal practice. Generally, after completing their philosophical studies, the nuns will go into retreat to allow sufficient time for reflection, prayer, and meditation to internalize what they have studied.

By closing the door to the external world, practitioners gain uninterrupted time and space for focused practice. This dedicated time allows practitioners to explore deeper spiritual development.

Retreat is not only for personal benefit. The wisdom and compassion deepened in solitude naturally flow outward, allowing practitioners to support and inspire others more meaningfully on their own spiritual path.

We are truly fortunate and deeply grateful to have established a well-equipped retreat center within our nunnery, a milestone that marks a significant and long-awaited development for our community. This is not merely a new building; it is a sacred space dedicated to inner transformation and the deepening of spiritual practice.

In the past, our nuns had to travel all the way to Nepal to undertake long-term retreat, facing the hardships of distance and separation from their home community. Now, that has changed. Our nuns can enter deep, uninterrupted practice within the warmth and familiarity of their own nunnery.

About the New Shugsep Retreat Center

The completed retreat center provides accommodation for up to eight nuns at a time. Each of the eight self-contained rooms has been designed to meet the practical and spiritual needs of the nuns.

They include a private toilet and washroom, storage space, a small kitchenette counter, and sufficient room for both study and prostrations, which are an integral part of their daily practice.

sample room at new Shugsep Retreat Center

One of the rooms at new Shugsep Retreat Center. Eight senior nuns began their retreats on March 30, 2026, occupying all available retreat rooms. The rooms are spacious enough that the nuns can do prostrations..

Each of the retreat rooms contains:

A low wooden bed with a simple coconut fibre and memory foam mattress (favoured by the nuns as they are breathable and firm for sitting on) and a low table on which the nuns will place their prayer and study books.
A large cupboard for storing their clothes and blankets and a shelf unit with lower cupboards to be used as a shrine and bookshelf.
Curtain rods and good-quality curtains, as well as a woven rug for the floor.
A chair.
A small kitchenette with some shelving and storage as well as a few pieces of kitchen equipment.

In addition to the individual retreat rooms, the building contains a communal prayer hall where nuns in retreat can gather periodically for teachings, group prayer, and guidance from visiting teachers.

Not all the nuns’ time will be spent in isolation. Some sessions will be undertaken as a group and the prayer hall is a space where they can receive instructions from an outside teacher, do prayer sessions together, and have the opportunity to talk among themselves to clear away doubts and concerns and to strengthen their practice.

Shugep retreat center opening Spring 2026

Inside the prayer hall at the official opening of the retreat center.

This prayer room has:

A wooden floor and a decorative shrine with statues from the nunnery.
8 low tables and 4 long sitting mattresses with Tibetan carpets on top.
A low teachers’ seat with mattress, carpet, and a low table.
A large bookshelf.

The retreat center also has a shared kitchen/dining room that provides space for nuns to warm food provided by the nunnery kitchen and to make their own light meals and tea. Finally, a dining table and chairs have been provided, thanks to your generosity, allowing the nuns to eat together if they wish. Daily meals will be delivered to their doors by designated nuns to avoid disturbing the nuns’ retreat.

Inside the kitchen at Shugsep retreat center

Stocking the shelves of the communal kitchen at the new Shugsep retreat center. The first eight nuns entered retreat on March 30, 2026.

The kitchen/dining room contains:

2 large dining tables and 10 chairs.
Cooking equipment including a simple two-burner gas range, a kettle, and a microwave oven in which to warm up food which will be supplied from the main nunnery kitchen.
A refrigerator and a washing machine.
A wooden cupboard and shelving for utensils, crockery, and food items.
Sundry kitchen equipment such as a drain rack, clothes rack, and waste bins.

The communal kitchen at the retreat center that the nuns can use. Most of their meals will be supplied by the nunnery kitchen and delivered to their doors by designated nuns so that they are not disturbed on retreat.

Retreat participants bring only what they truly need, such as:

Basic necessities (clothes, personal items).
Ritual items for their practices.
Essential texts for study and recitation.

The Structure and Phases of Retreat

Participants enter the retreat with clear spiritual intentions and long-term aspirations. Beyond individual development, the retreat also prepares practitioners to contribute meaningfully to their communities in the future, whether through teaching, guidance, or continued practice.

The practice begins with about a month of foundational training to build discipline and focus, followed by a main retreat that usually lasts around a year. It then continues with ongoing practices that can extend for three years, depending on the practitioner’s dedication and spiritual progress.

Since the nuns have different levels of prior retreat experience, they continue from where they previously left off. As a result, the duration of the retreat varies among them.

The nuns in retreat start their day at 4 a.m. and end it at 11 p.m. They take short breaks in between and continue their recitation and meditation practices.

Challenges in Building the Retreat Center

Shugsep Nunnery is 5 kilometers below Dharamsala on a 5-acre plot of land. Because of sloping nature of the terraced land, there was very little space left which could be easily built on without overcrowding the buildings.

The Shugsep nuns worked hard to clear the steep overgrown land for the retreat center.

The nuns considered finding another plot of land nearby, but land prices and the difficulty in registering the land made them reconsider locating the retreat center within the nunnery grounds. In 2022, the nuns cleared the bushes on the steep overgrown land near the nunnery entrance to see if it would be feasible to construct a retreat center there. They called in a team of local architects who made a detailed survey of the land and came up with plans based on a brief which was discussed with the nuns and the Khenpo who is head of the nunnery.

Shugsep Retreat Center Under Construction 2024

The Tibetan Nuns Project began fundraising for a retreat center in the fall of 2022 and the center opened in the spring of 2026.

An important point of the architects’ brief was that the retreat center should provide seclusion and privacy for the nuns. The nuns confine themselves to this one building for the duration of their retreat and should not be seen by outsiders, except for an occasional visiting teacher. The architects suggested that a sense of seclusion and invisibility could be achieved by raising the building high above the road so that no one can see into the balconies. The land in front and behind was be planted with flowering shrubs screening the building from outside view. To reduce noise so the nuns can meditate peacefully, the windows have double glazing and fly screens.

Shugsep Nunnery retreat center, retreat center

Cross section plan of the retreat center. The size and shape of the land posed restrictions.

The second point was to provide the nuns on retreat with a wide-open view to relieve their minds of tension. In the past in Tibet, retreat centers were located high on mountainsides. The position of the retreat center on the hillside overlooking farm land and the wide valley below provides the nuns with an expansive view.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns working on Shugsep Retreat Center

The nuns helped with the construction of the Shugsep Retreat Center.

The size and shape of the land limited the number of individual nuns rooms to 8, two on each floor in two buildings on either side of the central community building. According to the Khenpo, this is sufficient because if all the nuns were to decide to go into retreat at once there would be no one to teach the younger nuns or administer the nunnery. The nuns will rotate who goes into retreat and must agree to a specific duration to allow others the chance to take their place.

Rinchen Khando Choegyal with young Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Shugsep Nunnery

Rinchen Khando Choegyal, the Tibetan Nuns Project Founding Director and Special Advisor, with young Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Shugsep Nunnery. Senior nuns are now teaching at the nunnery and will take turns going on retreat.

About Shugsep Nunnery

A Nyingma nunnery, Shugsep traces its rituals and practice to some of the most illustrious female practitioners in Tibetan history. In the previous century, Shugsep Nunnery was home to one of the most famous teachers of her time, Shugsep Jetsunma.

Following the Cultural Revolution in 1959, Shugsep Nunnery in Tibet was completely destroyed. Although the nunnery was partially rebuilt in the 1980s by the nuns themselves, the nuns there faced frequent harassment by Chinese authorities.

Archival photo from 1991 of a Tibetan Buddhist nun by Susan Lirakis

In the late 1980s and 1990s many Tibetan Buddhist nuns escaped from Tibet including a large number of nuns from the original Shugsep Nunnery. They lived for many years in cramped conditions before the Tibetan Nuns Project re-established Shugsep Nunnery. It was inaugurated in 2010. Photo from 1991 by Susan Lirakis

Many of the nuns at Shugsep in India came from the original Shugsep Nunnery in Tibet. They were expelled by Chinese authorities for their political activities on behalf of Tibet and escaped over the Himalayas to practice their religion in India.

old rented building where the Shugsep nuns lived after they escaped from Tibet

When the nuns first escaped, they lived in this rented house near Dharamsala.

Shugsep Nunnery was re-established in India in 1992 and the newly built nunnery was inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in December 2010. It is one of two nunneries built and completely supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. The other is Dolma Ling.

Here’s a charming video tour of the nunnery made in 2017. If you can’t see the video, click here.

Nuns at Sherab Choeling Grateful for Better Living Conditions

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Preventing Cold and Mold at Sherab Choeling

In the spring of 2025, the nuns at Sherab Choeling Nunnery in the high-altitude Spiti Valley requested assistance to insulate the ground floor of their nunnery, to protect against cold, dampness, and mold.

Images showing one Head nun, Ani Budith La, shows the state of her room at the nunnery. Like the other 24 rooms, it suffers from visible mold, peeling walls, and harsh cold during winter.

A “before” picture. Head nun, Ani Butith, shows the state of her room at the nunnery. Like the other 24 rooms, it suffers from visible mold and peeling walls. The rooms were very cold during winter.

The existing living conditions were posing a serious health hazard to the nuns. Five nuns had already fallen ill due to the damp and mold.

We are happy to report that, thanks to 44 generous donors, the insulation and wood panelling project at Sherab Choeling Nunnery has now been completed. Here is a report with photos and a sweet video made by the nuns.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Sherab Choeling clear the roof from snow

An archival photo showing the nuns clearing snow off the roof of the nunnery. The nunnery is located at an altitude of approximately 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) and can be cut off in winter. The cold and damp were impacting the health and well-being of the nuns.

Background to the Mold and Cold Mitigation Project

Sherab Choeling Nunnery is home to approximately 60 nuns who live and study in extremely harsh climatic conditions, especially during winter when temperatures fall well below freezing and heavy snowfall often isolates the region.

The objective of this project was to address severe cold, dampness and mold issues within the nunnery buildings to improve the health and living conditions of the resident nuns.

The nunnery buildings were constructed using traditional mud and local materials. While this is culturally appropriate in the region, the aging structures developed significant damp issues over time which encouraged the growth of mold on the interior walls.

Kitchen at Sherab Choeling after wood panelling

The kitchen and dining area at the nunnery was severely damaged by dampness, especially in the corners. This not only affected hygiene but also made the space difficult to maintain. Now this area has new insulation and wood panelling and is much more comfortable and healthy for the nuns.

Poor insulation against the extreme cold and persistent moisture retention led to unhealthy living conditions, and several nuns developed health problems, including joint pain, knee and back problems, and increased physical discomfort during the winter months, which impacted their ability to carry out their daily tasks.

Due to extreme winter weather and frequent road closures, the nuns found it difficult to remain in Spiti during the peak winter months. For the past few years, they have been temporarily relocating to Hamirpur, where the Spiti community generously provided hostel accommodation until the snow cleared.

The nuns unload wood for panelling project at Sherab Choeling. The major project took many months to complete and is already having a profound impact on the well-being of the nuns.

Your Generosity in Action

Despite the challenging location, the work went smoothly. Fortunately, this winter did not bring heavy snowfall, which allowed the timber wood panelling work to continue without interruption.

The following areas have now been fully completed with wood panelling:
— The nuns’ residences
— The kitchen and dining area
— The temple/prayer hall

before and after Sherab Choelingbefore and after Sherab Choeling

Before and after. One of the nuns’ shared rooms with the new panelling making the space much warmer and liveable.

Huge Impact on the Nuns’ Lives

The nuns report that the wood panels are helping to keep the rooms warmer. They also reduce dampness and prevent mold from growing because black foam was placed between the wall and the wooden panels. This method is commonly practiced by people in the Spiti Valley to protect their homes from dampness and mold.

A carpenter making wood panelling for Sherab Choeling. The nuns say in their video, “It has truly changed our lives.”

The nuns have expressed great happiness and satisfaction with the completed work. This project marks a meaningful improvement in both their physical well-being and daily living environment.

Prayer room and temple at Sherab Choeling before and after panelling

The prayer room and temple room at Sherab Choeling before and after the wood panelling. You can see the damp, moldy walls on the left before the work was done to insulate the room.

The nuns of Sherab Choeling Nunnery extend their heartfelt gratitude to all donors and supporters who made this project possible.

Here’s a video that the nuns made for you. Can’t see the video? Click here.

Ani Butith, who has been in the nunnery for the past 30 years and currently acts as the administrator, conveyed sincere appreciation on behalf of all the nuns. She shared that although they may not be able to repay the generosity materially, they will offer Long Life and Tara prayers at the nunnery dedicated to all donors and supporters as a gesture of their gratitude.

A carpenter prepares wood panelling for the nunnery.

A carpenter prepares wood panellling. The nuns say in their video, “Before this the cold would seep into our bones, leaving many of us with aching backs and knees. But this year is different. Our rooms are finally a sanctuary of warmth.”

Conclusion

The Mold and Cold Mitigation Project through wood paneling at Sherab Choeling Nunnery has been successfully completed. The intervention addresses long-standing issues of dampness, mold, and extreme cold exposure and is expected to bring lasting positive change to the health and daily lives of the nuns.

The nuns say the wood panelling and insulation has truly changed their lives. “Before this, the cold would seep into our bones, leaving many of us with aching backs and knees. But this year is different. Our rooms are finally a sanctuary of warmth. We burn less firewood and, most importantly, the health of our sisters has improved so much.”

Thank you to all the donors and supporters for making this project possible and successful!

Winter at Sherab Choeling Nunnery in the Indian Himalayas nuns shovelling snow copy

An archival photo of the nuns shovelling a path around the nunnery. Winters in the Spiti Valley can be very severe with temperatures dropping as low as -22ºF or -30ºC.

Dolma Ling Nuns Thrilled With Renovated Kitchen

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Nuns Celebrate Completed Kitchen Repairs

Last year, we asked for your help to renovate the kitchen at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute, home to about 300 nuns. The old kitchen space was plagued with poor ventilation, intense heat, and leaks, especially in the monsoon, so working in the kitchen was almost unbearable for the nuns during the spring and summer. Thank you for supporting this project and making it safer and healthier for the nuns on kitchen duty!

Improving working conditions in Dolma Ling kitchen

The Dolma Ling kitchen is safer and more comfortable for the nuns on kitchen duty. The renovations included changing the roof line to stop leaks, raising the walls, improving ventilation, and putting in larger, low-maintenance windows.

The nuns are all extremely happy with the increased space, light, and ventilation of the renovated kitchen. It feels very fresh and clean. The nuns spent hours scrubbing and cleaning all the equipment as they moved it from their temporary kitchen in the dining hall, where they had been cooking over the winter.

celebrations of kitchen repairs at Dolma Ling Nunnery April 2025

On April 7th, 2025, the nuns celebrated their first day in the renovated kitchen with a small impromptu ceremony at morning tea time. They invited the teachers and staff.

Space, Light, and Ventilation: A Recipe for a Healthier Kitchen

The kitchen at Dolma Ling is the most heavily used part of the nunnery complex and the nuns on kitchen duty cook for 277 nuns and 20 staff daily. However, the lack of adequate ventilation and the leaking roof made working in the kitchen very uncomfortable and dangerous.

Dolma Ling kitchen renovations 2025 showing roof changes

Part of the renovations included removing the old sloped slate roof which leaked and replacing it with a flat concrete roof.

All the cooking takes place in huge pots on gas burners and the kitchen used to become extremely hot. Last June, the outside temperature in Dharamsala reached 105°F or 41°C. Inside the Dolma Ling kitchens, it was even hotter! Northern India experiences heatwaves between April and June, but in recent years, climate change and global warming have caused extreme temperatures to arrive earlier and last longer. Already in early April 2025, there have been extreme heat warnings for parts of northern India so it is a great relief that the kitchen repairs are completed.

There was an old extractor fan, but it didn’t provide sufficient ventilation. Moreover, the noise and smell from the exhaust fan in the kitchen wall disturbed the teachers living adjacent to the kitchen.

Before and after Dolma Ling kitchen renovations

With about 300 people to feed every day, the nuns do most of their cooking in big pots and the heat is intense. The new extractor fan, ceiling fans, larger windows, and raised ceiling make the kitchen cooler and brighter.

This area of northern India experiences heavy monsoon rains and summer heat. During the monsoon, heavy rains overflowed the gutters between the original roof and the roof extension and water would pour into the kitchen, distressing the nuns and making the floor slippery.

Urgent kitchen work needed at Dolma Ling

Here is a photo of the old kitchen roof with solar panels. The existing sloping roof was dismantled, the kitchen walls raised, and a flat roof created. Now there is extra work and seating space and the solar panels can be easily accessed for maintenance and cleaning.

The existing sloping slate roof was dismantled and the kitchen walls were raised. This change also provides an easily accessed rooftop that can be used for many things such as food preparation, additional outdoor seating, for drying cleaning cloths, and to set bowls of the nuns’ homemade yogurt in the sun to set during the colder months.

Dolma Ling Kitchen repairs in Decemeber 2024. Part of the renovations involved changing the roof to prevent leaks and create a better space inside and outside the kitchen.

The new flat roof has been designed to incorporate the bank of solar panels which used to be fixed on the slate roof. The solar panels are now re-established on the open section of the flat roof and are producing lots of hot water for washing up. It is much easier to access them for cleaning and maintenance.

Changing the roofline brings other advantages. The resulting large covered floor open at the sides will be used as an overflow from the now quite congested dining hall. This will be especially useful during the monsoon when the nuns cannot spill out onto the courtyard to sit and eat outside. The top floor space is wonderful and will be much appreciated by the nuns during the hot season and the coming monsoon.

Inside the renovated kitchen at Dolma Ling April 2025

It’s now so bright and airy inside the kitchen that we had to adjust the photos so that they wouldn’t be overexposed. The new, larger windows will also require less maintenance than the old wooden-framed ones. Notice the big extractor fan about the grill stove.

The old kitchen windows with their wooden shutters provided insufficient ventilation and were very difficult to maintain. The renovation involved replacing the windows with larger UPVC windows with sliding glass and mesh shutters. “UPVC” stands for “unplasticized polyvinyl chloride” and the new windows are lightweight, strong, and low maintenance.

Nuns grateful for newly renovated kitchen at Dolma Ling

The nuns are extremely grateful for the newly renovated kitchen. For many months they have been working from a temporary kitchen set up in the dining hall and they moved into the renovated kitchen on April 7, 2025.

In 2024, the Tibetan Nuns Project put out a call for help to renovate the kitchen ideally before the onset of the intense monsoon rains that year. However, both the funding and the work took longer than expected, but we’re thrilled to let you know that all the renovations are completed and the nuns will be able to work more comfortably this spring and summer and in the years to come. April 8th was the first full day of cooking in the renovated space. Thank you!

See our Current Needs section for projects we are working on now.

The Textbooks for Nuns Have Arrived!

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Thank you to everyone who donated to purchase textbooks for the Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India. Four of the seven nunneries in northern India have already received them and the nuns are delighted with their new books on English, math, science, and general knowledge. Here are photos of the nuns receiving and using the textbooks.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns with new textbooks

Thank you for purchasing new textbooks for the nuns! As you can see, they are delighted. Photo taken in May 2024 by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

At Dolma Ling, home now to 270 nuns, the nuns have received 274 new textbooks. The teachers there needed higher grade books which were not previously available and grammar and composition books.

Photos from May 2024 taken by Robin Groth showing some of the new textbooks in use at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute.

At Geden Choeling, the oldest nunnery in Dharamsala, the 200 nuns and their teachers are excited to have good sets of books. Geden Choeling’s abbot wants the nuns to learn math, but the nunnery didn’t have any math textbooks until now. Thanks to the generous support of Tibetan Nuns Project donors the Geden Choeling nuns now have these 362 textbooks.

Nuns at Geden Choeling nunnery carefully protect their new textbooks. Tibetans have a deep respect for books. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

Eight boxes containing 369 textbooks were delivered in May to Shugsep Nunnery and Institute, home to about 100 nuns. The Shugsep nuns needed math, science, and English grammar and composition books. The English teacher also asked for help to improve the stock of English textbooks so the students could complete coursework up to Grade 8. The nunnery’s last big purchase of books was many years ago and those books were so well-loved and used that they were falling apart.

Nuns at Dolma Ling using some of the new textbooks. A single book can transform hundreds of lives over the years and we are very grateful to the donors who funded the textbooks. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

The textbook order for Tilokpur Nunnery has been placed and includes a series of books called Cherry Blossoms for the new class of 15 young nuns who joined the nunnery this spring. Tilokpur nunnery has one English teacher who teaches all eight classes so she is pretty busy but most appreciative of the books.

The mission of the Tibetan Nuns Project is to educate and empower nuns of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as teachers and leaders; and to establish, strengthen, and support educational institutions to preserve the Tibetan religion and culture. Photo by the Dolma Ling Media Nuns.

The books for Sakya College for Nuns are being purchased soon. The textbooks for Dorjee Zong Nunnery in the remote area of Zanskar will be purchased this summer and brought there. We’ll report on these in the fall.

Boxes of new textbooks for Tibetan Buddhist nunneries.

Meanwhile, the Tibetan Nuns Project will continue to work with all seven of the nunneries to establish good library practices and to have library time for informal reading of fiction and non-fiction books. Dolma Ling library is functioning well and the nuns regularly borrow books and read them. The teachers at Shugsep Nunnery will bring their classes to the library and display a range of books so the students can look through them easily and choose what they would like to read.

Textbooks needed for Tibetan Buddhist nuns in India

Nuns at Tilokpur. Traditionally Tibetan Buddhist nuns have not had equal access to education. The textbooks will help educate and empower the nuns to become teachers and leaders.

Visit to an ancient Himalayan nunnery

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In the remote Indian Himalayas lies a 700-year-old Tibetan Buddhist nunnery called Dorjee Zong. The nunnery has a long tradition of meditating nuns, some of who are famed for having reached high levels of realization.

Dorjee Zong is one of seven nunneries supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. During the pandemic, this remote nunnery was even more cut off than usual.

In August 2022, a team from the Tibetan Nuns Project office near Dharamsala travelled for several days over hazardous roads from Leh to Zanskar. The team wanted to check on the nuns’ welfare and the progress of various projects at the nunnery including the major construction project started in 2019.

group photo showing the team from the Tibetan Nuns Project with the two oldest nuns at Dorjee Zong

Nangsa Choedon, Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project in India (middle), Tsering Diki, Assistant Director (left), and Delek Yangchen, one of the Dolma Ling media nuns (right) with the two eldest nuns at Dorjee Zong. These two nuns are both 90 years old.

For over 12 years the Tibetan Nuns Project has been helping this small nunnery with sponsorship of the nuns, teacher salaries, and a big construction project to improve all facilities at the nunnery.

Here’s a video of their visit. Can’t see video? Click here.

Old and new Dorjee Zong buildings
The old part of Dorjee Zong is on the hilltop on the left and the new school and other parts of the nunnery are lower down. The pandemic and the short building season at this high altitude have posed challenges.

Dorjee Zong is home to 20 nuns – 13 young nuns and 7 elder nuns. The oldest two are both 90-years-old. The seven elder nuns live at the ancient nunnery on the hill top. They spend most of their time reciting mantras and circumambulating the sacred site. They also take care of their field and greenhouse to stock up supplies for the harsh winters. The younger nuns live and study in the lower and newer part of the nunnery.

traditional kitchen at Dorjee Zong Nunnery in the Himalayas

The old traditional kitchen at Dorjee Zong Nunnery. The nunnery is one of the oldest centers in pursuit of monastic education in Zanskar.

Girls in the Himalayas are generally given far less education than boys. Girls are often removed from school as early as grade 4, if they are sent at all. The nunnery educates both lay girls and nuns. It gives them a chance for education that they would not otherwise have.

$two young nuns at math class at Dorjee Zong Nunnery Zanskar$

Math class. Lay girls and young nuns study at the nunnery up to Grade 5 after which they take the TNP-funded school bus 6 miles to continue their education.

Girls study up to Grade 5 at the nunnery, after which they travel by school bus for further schooling. The school bus was funded in 2019 by Tibetan Nuns Project donors and is also helping children from the local village attend school.

Construction Project Update

With the support of generous Tibetan Nuns Project donors, the nunnery embarked on an ambitious project to improve all the facilities for the nuns — an important and exciting transition for this ancient nunnery.

Construction started in 2019, but the work has been hampered by the pandemic. Also, the long severe winters and remote location reduce the construction window to around five months.

Nuns quarters at Dorjee Zong Nunnery in Zanskar Tibetan Nuns Project

Nuns’ quarters in the new housing block at Dorjee Zong. Before 2019, the buildings at this 700-year-old nunnery were very basic. There was just one classroom and one main building that was used for everything.

The two-story hostel is finished! The ground floor is now being used as students’ quarters, sufficient for the current number of students. The top floor is being used as the school office, dining hall, staff quarters, and meeting room. Once other facilities are complete, the entire building will be used to accommodate future students.

The new dining hall. In 2019, thanks to generous donors, the nunnery began a major construction project to improve all the facilities for the nuns.

The three-story kitchen and prayer hall building is coming along very well. The ground floor has a big dining hall which will, in future, be used by students, staff, and teachers. The dining hall is designed in local style with mats and low tables. However, they also plan to set up some tables and chairs for visitors.

life at Dorjee Zong nunnery in Zanskar prayers before breakfast

Prayers before breakfast. The nunnery has two cooks who prepare meals for all residents at the school. The food is healthy and vegetarian.

The first floor has a hall to be used for prayers, workshops, meetings, and teachings. This hall will also be decorated in the local style. Opposite there will be a library and computer room for the students. Six computer desks have already been made and will accommodate two per table. The library’s wooden book shelves will also serve as a room divider.

one of the new classrooms at Dorjee Zong Nunnery in Zanskar

One of the bright new classrooms being built. In the past, the nuns at Dorjee Zong did not have the opportunity to engage in rigorous studies, but their education program is improving.

According to the original plans, the nunnery was to have separate school blocks, staff blocks, and office blocks. Now, instead of building separate blocks, the construction committee decided to add a second floor onto the existing building. It is more cost effective and will also be warmer; there were not any other sunny building locations.

new building at Dorjee Zong Nunnery in Zanskar

The side of a new building at Dorjee Zong showing the traditional carpentry work for the windows and doors.

The nuns have been able to get a water connection with the help of the local government. This is very beneficial for the elder nuns as well as for the school. A water storage tank is being set up at the nunnery and the nuns’ committee will see what else needs to be done.

remote-Dorjee-Zong-Nunnery-in-Zanskar-by-Olivier-Adam

This photo of Dorjee Zong Nunnery was taken prior to the expansion project started in 2019. Photo courtesy of Olivier Adam.

Thank you so much for your support of the nuns!

Dorjee Zong Nunnery in Zanskar: Construction and Bus

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Dorjee Zong, An Ancient High-Altitude Nunnery

Dorjee Zong Nunnery is one of the oldest centers in pursuit of monastic education in Zanskar, an arid, high-altitude region of northern India. Founded in the 14th century, it has a long tradition of meditating nuns, some famed for reaching high levels of realization and attainment.

Young girls studying at Dorjee Zong Nunnery photo by Olivier Adam copy

Photo of young girls studying in the single old classroom at Dorjee Zong. The girls and women from this area have traditionally been given far less education than boys and men and were often removed from school as early as Grade 4 if they were sent to school at all. The nunnery gives them a chance for an education that they would not have otherwise. Photo by Olivier Adam

The Tibetan Nuns Project accepted the nunnery into its sponsorship program in 2009. Until recently, the buildings at this 700-year-old nunnery were very basic. There was just one classroom and one main building that was used for everything.

Dorjee Zong Nunnery Zanskar by Olivier Adam

In the past, the nuns at Dorjee Zong did not have the opportunity to engage in rigorous philosophical studies, but their education program is improving. This photo courtesy of Olivier Adam was taken before the expansion project started in 2019.

Dorjee Zong is now going through an exciting transition and major construction project thanks to generous donors. In 2019 building began on:

A nunnery school with seven classrooms to accommodate 50 students
A new housing block
A new kitchen, dining hall, and storeroom
A prayer hall
An office block
New toilet and bathroom building

Construction Continues During Pandemic

The project is nearing completion. Despite the pandemic, this summer work continued on the construction of the new buildings, including the housing blocks, the kitchen, the classrooms and so on.

Expansion project Dorjee Zong Nunnery Zanskar summer 2021

The multi-purpose two-story building has 10 rooms to provide accommodation for 50 students. It contains the kitchen, dining hall, storeroom on the ground floor and, on the upper floor, the prayer hall and a conference hall. Notice the newly added traditional wooden window frames.

In the summer of 2021, 20 workers were employed on the project. Although the construction season at this altitude is very short, there was a lot of work done including:

Plastering of the exterior and interior second story of the main building
Carpentry work for the dining hall, kitchen, classroom, library, and prayer hall
Making cupboards, chairs, tables, and little study tables for the young nuns
Plumbing for the kitchen and bathrooms
Windows for the classroom, staffroom, and second story

Construction at Dorjee Zong Nunnery 2021, Report on Dorjee Zong

The old nunnery buildings can be seen in the distance. At this altitude, the construction season is short.

New School Bus In Action

In 2019, generous donors funded the purchase of a school bus to enable the young nuns at Dorjee Zong to continue their education. The nuns needed a school bus to make the 12-mile round-trip journey to the government school to continue their education beyond Grade 5.

Here’s a photo of the new school bus in action. As you can see, it has a capacity of about 20 seats so serves not only the nuns but also other girls. This is important in a region where girls traditionally have little access to education.

The bus is providing a wonderful service not just for the nuns but also for young girls going to and from school. In 2020, due to the pandemic, the Indian schools were closed for some time. Now they are open again and the nuns are going back and forth to school using the bus.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the expansion project and the bus!

Safe and Bright: New Solar Lights at Shugsep Nunnery

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In February 2021, the Tibetan Nuns Project asked for help to fund solar lights at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute. You responded magnificently and the project was fully funded by the end of the month.

We’re delighted to report back on the completed solar light project and to share photos with you. The nuns and the head of the nunnery, Khenpo Namgyal, are very grateful to all those who supported this project. We’ll report back on other parts of the Shugsep project such as the dough machine as soon as possible.

Tibetan Buddhist nuns instal solar lights at nunnery

Tibetan Buddhist nuns at Shugsep dig a hole to install some of the new solar lights at the nunnery.

Solar Lights for Safety and Education

Earlier this year, the nuns and staff at Shugsep Nunnery asked for a number of solar-powered lights. They needed this lighting both for security and to enable the nuns to study outside their rooms in the evenings.

The lights arrived at the nunnery this spring. The nuns and staff helped to install them so there was no need to bring outside workers into the nunnery. This was especially important because it helped to keep the nuns safe from COVID-19.

solar panels for lights at Shugsep Nunnery

The balconies outside the nuns’ rooms needed two solar lights each. The nuns also installed lights in each of the two garden areas in front of the main temple. The road to the nunnery gate was very dark. Now the the solar lights on the road brighten the path, keeping the nuns safe and allowing them to study at night.

Thank you so much for your support!

new solar lights at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute

About Shugsep Nunnery and Institute

Shugsep Nunnery, home now to 76 nuns, was re-established in India and officially inaugurated in December 2010. It is one of two nunneries built and completely supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project.

The majority of the nuns studying in Shugsep Nunnery near Dharamsala came from the original Shugsep Nunnery in Tibet. Their nunnery was destroyed following the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the nuns were forced to leave. Although in the 1980s the nuns partially rebuilt the original Shugsep, they faced frequent harassment by Chinese authorities and many escaped to India.

Now nuns have the opportunity to participate in a nine-year academic program of Buddhist philosophy, debate, Tibetan language, and English.

Take a video tour of the nunnery.

Security and privacy restored at Shugsep Nunnery

What a Relief! New Security Wall for the Nunnery

The nuns are finally safe from prying eyes and dangerous intruders.

When Shugsep Nunnery was first built, it was in a small village at the end of a tiny road. However, over time, several new buildings have come up around the nunnery including a large private school with its entrance immediately behind the nunnery grounds.

Fortunately, in designing the nunnery, the plans left a 20-metre distance between the upper housing wing and the back boundary wall. This area is mostly covered in old mango trees. The trees form a buffer between the nuns’ living quarters and the activity of the nearby private school.

Privacy and security have been restored at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute thanks to this new wall funded by Tibetan Nuns Project supporters. The nuns are extremely grateful.

However, because the level of the road behind the nunnery grounds was raised by the school, the perimeter wall which was once an 8-foot-high wall and topped with barbed wire was reduced to just 4 feet above road level. This meant that the nuns lost their privacy and schoolchildren, bus drivers, and passers-by could clearly see over the wall into the nunnery.

Although the nuns tried to be tolerant of being stared at, they were reluctant to sit on their verandas to study and they felt inhibited about using the bathrooms at the end of the building. The situation also became dangerous. There were some frightening intrusions into the nunnery by youths who broke down the barbed wire and climbed over the wall. It was clear that the wall had to be improved as soon as possible.

However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nuns could not raise the height of the wall in 2020. Fortunately, the adjacent private school was closed for the whole year.

The nuns were able to start the work in February 2021, adding another 4 feet in height along the length of the wall in front of the school. Now that the neighboring school has reopened, the view into the nunnery is blocked and the nuns feel very relieved.

The nuns have tidied the area behind the newly repaired wall. They can now use this secluded, shady area under the mango trees as a place to practice Tibetan Buddhist debate.

It is gratifying to see how the nuns’ relief has translated into their efforts to make the area pleasant. The nuns have worked hard clearing and levelling the area under the trees so they will be able to use it as a shady debate yard.

The nuns are extremely grateful to have their security and privacy restored.

Project approved to start: 10/12/19. Start delayed due to the pandemic.
Project started: 15th January 2021
Project completed: 22nd February 2021
Total cost: Rs. 1,17,715 which is roughly US $1,620
Scope of work:
A. Raised wall height with dressed stone, sand, bajari, and cement. Rs. 1,01,715 ($1,400)
B. Provided and fixed poles Rs. 11,000 ($151)
C. Removed old fence wire and re-fixed wire Rs. 5,000. ($69)

No More Leaks: Water Tank Repair

Shugsep Nunnery depends on the large double-story concrete water tank on the slope behind the nuns’ housing wing. The municipal water lines do not provide enough water to cover the needs of the nunnery and the tank is fitted so that it can be supplied by pumping from the bore well. After 12 years, the tank itself was in a very dilapidated condition and was seriously leaking.

After researching the best way to repair the tank, the nuns hired a local contractor to re-seal the inside of the tank with marble chips and to re-plaster and paint the outside. They also needed to repair and replace the plumbing lines.

The nuns had to purchase the marble chip material as a truckload from Rajasthan. The plan was to use the same material to seal the Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute water catchment. The order for both nunneries was placed in October 2019 and, when the materials arrived, they were stored at Dolma Ling because their water project repairs had to be done first. The Dolma Ling work was completed in December 2019.

repair projects, painted water tanks at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute.

The newly repaired and painted water tanks at Shugsep Nunnery and Institute. The work was delayed for a year due to the pandemic and the nuns are very grateful that the work was able to be completed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the work of repairing the Shugsep water tank was put off until the end of 2020 when, with the reduced virus caseload, the nuns felt secure enough to agree to allow workmen into the back of the nunnery compound. The work was done in stages, fixing one tank and then the other so that the nuns always had some water supply.

The new water tanks look very clean and professionally repaired. The nuns are very happy that the water tanks are working well and no longer leak. The nuns are very grateful to the Tibetan Nuns Project donors for making this improvement to their facilities possible.

Project approved to start 10/10/19. Start delayed due to pandemic.
Project started: 15th December 2020
Completed: 1st February 2021
Cost of contract: Rs.169,720 (approximately $2,335)
Scope of work:
A. Provided and laid marble chips including chipping off and cleaning the old plaster and flooring. Rs. 1,36,720 ($1,881)
B. Removed and replaced water lines and fittings, gate valves unions, etc. Rs. 19,000 ($261)
C. Painted external areas of tanks, pillars etc. using waterproof paint: Rs. 14,000 ($193)

Keeping the nunneries strong and healthy

Carpentry Work

Suresh, the longtime carpenter at Dolma Ling, completed the following projects in 2019:

Fixed leaks in the slate roof before the monsoon rains began.
Repaired various damaged windows.
Put up protective splash covers on the outside doors of His Holiness’ suite on the top floor of the temple building.
Made 6 bulletin boards for the housing blocks so that the nuns do not have to tape notices on the walls, spoiling the paintwork.
Cleaned the café gutters and checked the café roof.

before and after leak repair Dolma Ling 2019

Roofing, Repair, and Maintenance Work

Extensive repairs were made to the multiple bathroom blocks at Dolma Ling, including to the floors, pipes, and to the windows and doors which were damaged by water. The toilet and bathroom areas were, in some cases, 20 years old because the nunnery was built in stages. Many of the water pipes were corroded and needed replacing. Urgent action was needed to prevent further degeneration of the building structure.
Filled holes and gaps in the stone and slate paving throughout the nunnery complex.
Cemented the area in front of the septic tank to help with drainage.
Repaired the slate flooring in the nuns’ bathhouse and the stairs of the teachers’ housing block.
Cleared and filled holes in gardens and courtyards and improved drainage.
To prevent dampness in the nunnery guesthouse and to facilitate drainage, workers dug a two-foot ventilation gap between the back wall of the building and the land behind it. This was money well spent as the condition of the ground floor of the building is very much improved. The building is to be painted this winter.
Created steps and filled in the guesthouse garden.
Built a clothes-washing area for the nuns by installing half-round concrete pipes into the water channel. This was carried out efficiently and with the least disruption to the nuns’ washing area.
A tree was removed which was dripping water onto the windowsill of a nun’s room making it constantly damp inside.
Painted the doors of the tofu-making building.
Replaced the valves in the pump house.
Tested the water from the bore well and the water filtration system. The water was found to be clear of coliforms and heavy metals but has a large amount of iron and some turbidity which will need to be filtered out.
Built an overhead water tank stand. This is part of a larger project to pipe water from the bore well in the front garden to an overhead tank from which it will be filtered and fed to the kitchen, dining hall, and to the shed where there is a water boiler which the nuns use to fill their thermos flasks for their rooms.
Started work on the repair and cleaning of the solar panels. The nuns need to remove all deposits that have collected inside the solar collectors, replace leaky valves, and check and clean all the panels and piping regularly to keep the system running. The bulk of the work has been done on all three solar units but has revealed some problems that will need to be fixed in 2020.
Painted large sections of the nunnery including three of the six housing wings, the dining hall, and the courtyard external faces of the corridors, dining building, and the temple.
Hung curtains in the prayer hall. There have been recent cases of thefts in temples because thieves get tempted by seeing images and ritual items through the clear windows of the hall.

Regular re-painting of the Nunnery buildings is essential. Since the construction of the first wings at Dolma Ling, over 20 years ago, we have made efforts to re-paint the buildings in rotation every three years. However, the last time the first three nunnery wings were painted was in 2015 so a good deal of repair work was also overdue, especially in the bathrooms.

Blacksmith Work

Three ventilating skylights were added to the bathhouse to prevent the build-up of humidity within the building. These have been very simply made and installed and are very effective.
The blacksmith who put the guttering on the retreat huts also installed guttering and downpipes to stop water damage down the sides of the building.
Put up fencing and a gate on the ground floor of the senior teachers’ house to prevent staff children from falling.
At the nuns’ request, four small gates were added to the entrances of the staff and teachers’ residences and an office, to prevent stray dogs from taking refuge inside the buildings.

bathroom repairs Dolma Ling maintenance 2019

Protecting the Retreat Huts from Monsoon Rains

The eight retreat huts built and inaugurated in 2014 are now occupied by nuns in retreat and by the newly qualified Geshemas.

During the summer of 2017, the nuns noticed that water was flooding through the land during heavy monsoon downpours and causing problems inside the huts and to the access paths, as well as water logging parts of the gardens.

drainage work for retreat huts at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute 2019

The eight retreat huts, completed several years ago thanks to generous donors, are occupied by nuns in retreat and by the newly qualified Geshemas. Drainage work was needed to prevent flooding during the monsoon.

The following work to fix the retreat huts was done between June and October 2019:

Drains were dug and lined to ensure that water flows efficiently into the main drain behind the huts.
The guttering was installed on all 8 huts so that the water from the roofs does not splash back against the walls.
Each hut has two downpipes on opposite corners of the building, which takes water efficiently into the drain.
The drainage system has been made to accommodate the water from the downpipes.

We are confident that these arrangements will be effective in channeling the monsoon rainwater away from the buildings. This will reduce dampness and make the retreat huts more comfortable and healthier for the occupants.

work to prevent dampness in Dolma Ling guesthouse copy

To prevent dampness in the guesthouse and to facilitate drainage, workers dug a two-foot ventilation gap between the back wall of the building and the land behind it. This was money well spent as the condition of the ground floor of the building is very much improved. The building will be painted this winter and will have a new lease on life.

Masonry Work

A mason named Bablu and his assistants were hired to carry out the general repair work required including:

Filled holes in the paving.
Re-set the levels on the septic tank in front of the café to enable water to drain better.
Repaired the slate flooring on the teachers’ house stairs and in the bathhouse.
Built a low stone wall in the garden between the office and the teachers’ house to improve the possibility of creating a nice garden for the rose trees which are planted in that area.
Created a drain at the bottom of the kitchen stairs to help remove excess water that collects there.
Tiled the torma room floor. The nuns decided to make new surfaces on which they make tormas out of black granite and also requested that the floor be tiled so that it could be kept as clean as possible, befitting the room in which these special ritual offering cakes are made.
Tiled the wall in the dining room behind the serving table. The wall was badly marked and is much easier to keep clean now that it is tiled.

Work to be Done in 2020

Dolma Ling is a bit like a university campus, with many buildings, housing blocks, and systems. In the harsh climate and heavy monsoons of northern India, there is always work to be done to keep the nunnery complex strong, safe, and healthy.

For this reason, the Tibetan Nuns Project fundraises each year for the Maintenance Fund.

Here are just a few of the projects to be done in 2020:

Fix the café roof with bituminized surfacing.
Stop the dripping from the overhead pipes in the debate courtyard.
Paint the guesthouse, the clinic, and the lower teachers’ house, all of which are urgently in need of doing as they have not been painted since 2015.