Karma Drubdey Palmo Chokyi Dingkhang
Relocation Project
Why We Are Moving
Our nunnery—with its fresh air, natural beauty, and homey environment—it has been a perfect place for us to study and practice. Until late 2019 when many cracks and holes started appearing in and around the buildings at the main nunnery. The villagers noticed the same things happening in their homes.
Even though we live in an earthquake-prone region (as all the Himalayas are), we have never had cracks like this appear in our buildings or seen this in our area. We wondered if the recent activation of a hydroelectric project whose head-race tunnel lies beneath our land and the village might be a factor.
Government geologists came to inspect and monitor the situation. They conducted regular tests for more than a year. Their report (completed in June 2021) concluded that the land beneath the main nunnery is unstable due to its slope and formation. Since we had never had the land tested or monitored, they could not say whether the vibration from the construction and activation of the head-race tunnel was a factor or not. But they do say that active movement is still taking place, which they are monitoring. Fortunately, the villagers are not seeing cracks continuing to form in their homes.
Based on their findings, we are afraid that the area may gradually sink, or worse, have a landslide during the monsoons or if there is an earthquake. We tried repairing the buildings and reinforcing them, but the cracks keep reappearing. After much thought, we sadly concluded that it is not feasible or safe for the main nunnery to remain in this location.
One good note is that this is only affecting the main nunnery, not the shedra, which is on a flatter section of the hillside and whose land has been tested and determined to be stable. And so far, we have not seen any cracks in our retreat buildings, even though they are also on steeper land.
Overall Project Cost: $4.5 million
Phase One
$1,400,000 Goal
$1,163,909 Raised
How to Donate
It’s a challenging goal, but with your support, it can be achieved!
Donations can be sent to us directly via bank wire.
Please email us at kdrubdey@gmail.com for our bank information.
Taiwan
Donations can be via bank wire.
Please email shantidhara9@gmail.com.
Donations can also be made to Marpa Foundation
See also ktgrinpoche.org/donate: Donate to the Karma Drubdey Relocation Project.
Contact director@marpafoundation.org for other ways to donate, including bank wires and checks.
Your donation, big or small will help us fulfill our goal!
Our Relocation Project
In 2020, we began to look for land nearby to relocate the main nunnery. Knowing our predicament, the local people offered the nunnery almost five acres of land on a hillside with a gentle slope, about nine kilometers from our current location.
Government geologists conducted site suitability testing on the land and concluded that it is stable and safe for building.
Our new nunnery will have housing for up to 214 nuns in six hostel buildings and a temple (lhakhang) capable of seating up to 600 people for large ceremonies and prayer festivals. There is also a kitchen and dining hall, six classrooms, a library and office, rooms for teachers, and housing for Khenchen Rinpoche, visiting Rinpoches, and lamas.
Bhutan requires all new construction to be in compliance with its building codes for earthquake resistance.
Phase One
This phase includes five buildings:
Three junior hostels
One senior hostel
The kitchen-dining building
Each of the three junior hostels will provide housing for up to 48 nuns, and the senior hostel will house up to 26 nuns. The junior nuns’ rooms are either two, four, or six bed- rooms; and the senior nuns’ rooms are either singles or doubles.
The kitchen was designed in consultation with the nuns, and the dining room will seat up to 250.
Phase Two
This phase includes:
The three-story temple
Khenpo Rinpoche’s living quarters and suites for visiting Rinpoches and lamas
The classroom-administration block
The two senior hostels (types two and three)
Additional elements: butter-house, prayer wheel, bell tower, public toilets, laundry, landscaping, and utilities installation.
The three-story temple will be able to accommodate up to 600 people during large events.
The classroom-administration block will have six classrooms, administration offices, visitor’s reception rooms, an infirmary, a gathering hall, and library on the ground floor. The first floor has rooms for 6 teachers and the principal.
One senior hostel will house the most senior nuns in single and double rooms with a ramp to the upper story (housing for 18 nuns). The other senior hostel will house up to 26 nuns.
Project Cost
The current estimate is approximately $4.5 million (370,000,000 BTN).
Phase One: $1.4 million
Four hostel buildings: ~$940,000
Each hostel building: ~$240,000
Kitchen-dining building: ~$420,000
Phase Two and Completion of Project: $3.1 million
Temple: ~$1 million
Housing for Khenchen Rinpoche, visiting Rinpoches, and lamas: ~$410,000
Two hostel buildings: ~$480,000
Each hostel building: ~$240,000
Classrooms, library, teachers’ quarters, visitor’s reception: ~$640,000
Bell tower, butter-lamp house, prayer wheel, landscaping (paving, drainage, retaining walls, etc), utilities, public toilets, and laundry: ~$620,000
For more information:
Please contact us at kdrubdey@gmail.com.
Make a Donation to Our Relocation Project
It’s a challenging goal, but with your support, it can be achieved!