Dorjee Zong Nunnery, a remote mountain monastery in Ladakh, in India’s far north, this summer inaugurated a new school that will provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for nuns and lay girls in the region—part of a major expansion project for the 700-year-old nunnery.

Located on a remote mountainside in Zanskar, Dorjee Zong Nunnery is one of the oldest centers for monastic education in the region, and is renowned for its long tradition of meditating nuns.

The Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP), a US-registered charity that supports the nunnery, shared that the new school building would open up new opportunities for the monastery’s nuns and for local girls.

“The newly constructed school building . . . includes four classrooms, a library, temple, kitchen, dining hall, and necessary furniture for students and staff,” the TNP said in an announcement shared with BDG. 

“Girls in the Himalayas have traditionally been given far less education than boys. They are often removed from school as early as Grade 4 if they are sent at all. The nunnery now educates both nuns and lay girls, giving them a chance for good education that they might otherwise not have.”

Dorjee Zong is one of the seven nunneries supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. The monastery was founded in the 14th century by Master Sherab Zangpo, a senior disciple of Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa (c. 1357–1419), or Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The center has a long tradition of teaching and nurturing accomplished meditating nuns—some of whom have attained profound realization, among them Khandroma Yeshi Lhamo, also known as Jomo Shelama.

The high-altitude monastic center is now home to 19 nuns, including six senior nuns, the eldest of whom in their 90s. The youngest nuns receive primary education up to Grade 5 onsite. Around nine of the nuns who have completed Grade 5 education attend classes at the nearby government school.

“The elder nuns spend their days reciting mantras, walking sacred paths, and tending small greenhouses or fields to prepare for harsh winters,” said the TNP. “The 13 younger nuns live and study alongside lay girls in the new school building below.”

Construction work on the new school and dormitory began in 2019.* The building was officially inaugurated on 30 July. The new school now serves 13 young nuns and 14 lay girls, offering an education in modern academic subjects and basic Buddhism.

“Building the new school took many years of support and hard work,” the TNP explained. “Construction started in 2019, but progress was severely hampered by the pandemic, during which travel restrictions made it difficult for laborers to travel to and from the site. Also, at this altitude, the long severe winters reduce the construction season to around five months a year.

“The formal inauguration . . . marked an important milestone in the development of education in the region. The school stands as a symbol of hope and opportunity for young girls, particularly nuns, by providing access to quality education while preserving Buddhist values and culture.”

The importance of the inauguration to local communities was evidenced by the attendance of residents of five local villages, who made the occasion a memorable community celebration. The consecration ceremony was performed by Drepung Gomang Khen Rinpoche and monks from Karsha Gompa.

The TNO emphasized: “This project would not have been possible without the generous support of the Betsy Gordon Foundation, the dedicated efforts of the Dorjee Zong Nunnery Cultural Welfare Society, the Deep Roots Himalayan Foundation, the members of the Contemplative Studies Program, the encouragement of the local community, and all those who have supported the expansion and improvement project and the creation of the new school.”

The Tibetan Nuns Project provides education and humanitarian aid to refugee nuns from Tibet and Himalayan regions of India. Established under the auspices of the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration, the TNP supports hundreds of nuns from all Tibetan Buddhist lineages and seven nunneries. Many of the nuns are refugees from Tibet, but the organization also reaches out to the Himalayan border areas of India, where women and girls have little access to formal education and religious training.

* Tibetan Nuns Project Leads Transformation at Dorjee Zong Buddhist Nunnery in Ladakh (BDG) and UPDATE: Tibetan Nuns Project Offers Progress Report on Dorjee Zong Buddhist Nunnery in Ladakh (BDG)

See more

Tibetan Nuns Project
Dorjee Zong (Tibetan Nuns Project)
Inauguration of New School at Dorjee Zong Nunnery in Zanskar (Tibetan Nuns Project)
Sponsor a Nun (Tibetan Nuns Project)

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