Thank you to all our generous supporters who have funded this project.

The existing kitchen at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute near Dharamsala was no longer large enough to care for the number of nuns and staff.

When the first phase of Dolma Ling Nunnery was completed in 1993 and the 82 nuns moved in, the kitchen facility was very adequate. However, each year the number of nuns increased and by 2001 they took over first wing ground floor classroom as a vegetable storeroom and cutting room. Now the number of nuns has more than tripled and with 240 nuns and 40 staff to cook for each day, the old kitchen was very cramped and the classroom that was used by the nuns as a sort of kitchen extension was very much needed by educational program.

Here’s a video showing the new, expanded kitchen at Dolma Ling.

In the spring of 2015 we sought funding to us increase the size of the kitchen at Dolma Ling by extending it forward into the courtyard adding an additional 750 square feet of functional space. This would solve many problems at once. For example, the solar panels on the slate roof of the main kitchen were difficult to maintain and caused a certain amount of leakage. By extending the kitchen with the flat roof, we are now able to provide a safe and manageable space for the solar panels and water tanks.

The estimated cost of the kitchen extension, including the relocation of the solar hot water panels and furnishings, was $US 27,500.

Background on the Tibetan Nuns Project

Established in 1987 to support an enormous influx of refugee nuns arriving in Dharamsala, India, the Tibetan Nuns project first focused on securing housing, medical care and education for nuns who left Tibet because of the repressive political situation. Many of the nuns had suffered severely from their long, arduous and often dangerous escapes. Some had been tortured and imprisoned by the Chinese authorities in Tibet. In most cases the nuns arrived without money of possessions into a community already struggling to support itself. Ranging in age from early teens to mid-80s, these women wish nothing more than to live, study, practice and teach in accordance with their spiritual beliefs.