Monastery Resoration Project :: Thulo Syabru, Nepal

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The Gho-Ngag Dhargye Mangche Gompa Monastery-Photo-03

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The Gho-Ngag Dhargye Mangche Gompa Monastery was built 350 years ago by solely one man: Garwang Rinpoche. It took him 12 years to build it. It sits a little ways off from the village proper of Thulo Syabru, Nepal, and in the past, vandals have taken some of the statues, documents, and books - all of which were originals and handwritten in Tibetan. 

This isolated monastery represents a beautiful and unique example of Tibetan Buddhist history and culture, as well as the culture of the local area. Situated a few miles from the border with Tibet, it represents a way of life that is rapidly disappearing in both Nepal and Tibet, as more and more monasteries like this are abandoned, left to fall into disrepair and, ultimately, vanish. The loss of this monastery would be a tragedy - one which nearly happened - but now thanks to some dedicated local people, we are beginning to help restore and preserve its history and culture.

The village of Thulo Syabru still uses this monastery for many ceremonies that have been host to a number of well-known Rinpoches from this part of Nepal. The village plans to add some guest rooms and a kitchen so that visitors can stay here and help protect and preserve the statues and holy books. They also plan to build a wall around the property to help protect it from future vandalism. 

The Mountain Fund is currently raising funds to help repair the monastery and protect it for future generations.

For more current news on Nepal, see these "Breaking News - Nepal" stories by the New York Times, and Nepalnews.com.