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FINAL UPDATES: Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project, AUGUST 2017 FINAL UPDATES Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project AUGUST 2017 SUBMITTED BY: KHUMJUNG GOMPA WELFARE & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Village Municipality Ward-4 Khumjung i TEXT AND CONCEPT ANG RITA SHERPA (The Partners Nepal) Khunde [email protected] Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Committee TECHNICAL SUPPORT CHHIRING SHERPA (TECHNICAL EXPERT AND TRESURER) [email protected] Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Committee COORINDATOR PASANG DAWA SHERPA (COORDINATOR) [email protected] Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Committee PHOTOS: Khumjung Gompa Management Committee FINAL UPDATES Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project AUGUST 2017 SUBMITTED BY: KHUMJUNG GOMPA WELFARE & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Village Municipality Ward-4 Khumjung TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 4 1. INTRODUCTION 5 2. BACKGROUND OF SAMTEN CHOLING GOMPA 5 3. SAMTEN CHOLING GOMPA REBUILD COMPLETED 7 4. WORKING AREA AND BENEFICIARIES AND PARTICIPANTS 8 5. LOCAL PARTNERS 9 6. BREAK THROUGH AND CHALLENGES 10 7. CONCLUSION 11 8. BUDGET DETAILS 11 9. SAMTEN CHOLING GOMPA HAS BEEN INAUGURATED 13 10. APPRECIATION 16 11. SAMTEN CHOLING GOMPA REBUILD COMMITTEE 18 12. SUB-REBUILD COMMITTEE 18 13. SUB-REBUILD COMMITTEE IN ABROAD 18 “Cultural Restoration especially after the April 2015 earthquake has become more important than ever before. It is our duty to preserve our cultural heritage for our future generation. We deeply appreciate all our friends and donors who have generously contributed towards the rebuild of Khumjung Gomba” Abbot (Nawang Tenzing Jangbu) Tengboche Monastery FINAL UPDATES: Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project, AUGUST 2017 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE The massive earthquake in Nepal in April & May 2015, fol- lowed by a strong aftershock and hundred more since then. The earthquakes and aftershocks from time to time over two months shook Nepal caused considerable damage to many parts of Khumbu region including the monastery like Khumjung Gom- pa. Detail survey was requested to carry out to assess the over- all damaged conditions. The assessment report stated that there have been major cracks and distortion of structures at multiple sites, which required reconstruction of the whole building. To this end, a rebuild committee was formed with primary responsible to rebuild the Gompa and the committee has begun to raise funds and explore potential donors within local, national and international levels who could provide financial assistance to rebuild those damaged structures. In order to assist the main, rebuild committee, Sub-committee was formed in Kathmandu with primary responsible to help in fund raising and commu- nication help. The sub-committee in Kathmandu has appointed Mr. Pasang Dawa Sherpa of Khumjung – 1 as the coordinator for Kathmandu based rebuilds committee. The Samten Choling Gompa Management Committee was successful in raising funds within local, international communities, donor agencies as well as the labor contributions for the completion of the rebuild project. The Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Committee ex- press our great appreciation to all the respected donor agencies, local and international communities, local people for your assistance in rebuild of the Gompa. Your emotional kindness and the strength you have given us was very important and valid specially during those difficult time. It is with such generous support that Khumjung Gompa was successful in completion of the rebuild project in August 2017. Hence, the Samten Cho- ling Gompa was successful in inauguration on 19th August 2017. The Samten Chholing Gompa Management Committee was successful in organizing the event of inauguration ceremony that has taken place at Samten Choling Gompa at Khumjung on 19th August 2017. The Samten Choling Gompa was inaugurated by the Abbot of Tengboche Monastery i.e. Nawang Tenzing Jangbu along with respected lama Naptrul Rimpoche from Kathmandu, Thame Rimpoche, Kerok, Charok and Gendukpa Hermitage in Thame village. Sonam Tshering Sherpa Chairman Khumjung Gompa Welfare & Development Committee 4 FINAL UPDATES: Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project, AUGUST 2017 INTRODUCTION The Samten Choling Gompa Management Committee is pleased to present this final updates as of August 2017 to all our respected and loving donors who had generously provided their finan- cial support to rebuild and restore the Samten Choling Monastery (Gompa) in Khumjung village. The Samten Choling Gompa was severely damaged from April and May 2015 earthquake that suffered terrible damage to religious structures and monuments of this region. For the Sherpas of this village, their natural and cultural heritage is an important component of their identity. Realizing the need to rebuild and restore the damaged of this Gompa in mind, with active motiva- tion and strong commitment from Khumjung and Khunde community, the Samten Choling Gompa Management Committee has formed special committee named: Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Com- mittee based in Khumjung and Sub-Rebuild Committee in Kathmandu with primary responsible to assess the condition and possible raise funds to rebuild the severely damaged Gompa.he Samten Choling Gompa rebuild committee based in Khumjung and in Kathmandu had successfully raised funding from friends and donors from national and international communities and labor contribu- tions from Khumjung and Khunde Community that enabled to complete the rebuild of Khumjung Gompa within the given time. The committee based in Kathmandu had already presented an update and mid-term reports in November 2016 and April 2017 accordingly to the respected donors with overall progress has made with expense details at the time of those preparations of the reports. BACKGROUND OF SAMTEN CHOLING GOMPA Samten Choling Monastery falls within the Sagarmatha National Park-a UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in the beautiful landscape of Khumjung village (Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Village Municipality Ward-4 Khumjung) at the foot of the sacred peak (Khumbila at an altitude of 3790m. Khumjung also forms the entry point of “Sacred Sites Trail Project” a circular trek inside the park, passing clockwise through ten monasteries, caves, hermitages and nunneries, starting from Namche Bazar. Khumjung village is the largest settlement with population of approximately 110 in total of 300 households is the most famous for hidden, sacred valley known as Beyul more than 1,200 years by Guru Rimpoche (Padmadambhava). Khumjung Village 3790m with Samten Choling Gompa in background 5 FINAL UPDATES: Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project, AUGUST 2017 The Sherpas of this region believes it is a place of refuge, peace, and special spirituals qualities. Samten Choling Gompa is one of the oldest monastery in the Khumbu valley ap- proximately 360 years old where the skull of Yeti or the abominable snowman is preserved and displayed. Khumjung Gompa is also known for its precious old religious books and artefacts. It’s beautiful paintings and statues were created by artists who had migrated into Khumjung from Mustang valley. 6 FINAL UPDATES: Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project, AUGUST 2017 SAMTEN CHOLING GOMPA REBUILD COMPLETED Following the 2015 earthquake, the rebuild committee based in Khumjung had consulted and hired local engineering expert to enter the affected areas to assess the damaged condi- tions of cultural properties, prepare preliminary restoration plans, and estimate the restoration costs with earthquake proofing plans. The assessment report stated that there has been ma- jor cracks and distortion of structures at multiple sites, which required reconstruction of the whole building. After obtaining the assessment report and the cost estimation from local based engineering expert, the rebuild committee based in Khumjung and in Kathmandu be- gan to raise funds and collection of timber, stone and sand collection, aggregate collection, timber and stone work began from May 2016. The main rebuild process began only after the completion of the annual Dumji1 and Nyingne2 celebration in June 2016 with full support of the local communities from Khumjung and Khunde including the committee formed both in Khumjung and in Kathmandu to undertake the rebuild process. 1 Dumji is a great festival in which the whole community takes part. It has been in practice for more than 300 years during the monsoon season. The local representatives provide food and drink for the whole community for 5 days. The respon- sibility for this festival falls on every household once or twice in a lifetime depending on the number of houses in each village. On this occasion rich and poor join the celebration on equal terms. Monks from Tengboche Gompa are invited to recite the ceremony. The main purpose of Dumji is two-fold: it is both a request to various gods' power to subdue demonic enemies of the village and a celebration of the anniversary of the death of the patron saint Lama Sanga Dorji. 2 Nyingne is performed at the end of May or early June in village Gompas. The main purpose of this festival is to cleanse the worshippers of sin and to help them obtain more Sonam (merit). This rite requires a lama, generally the Head Lama from Tengboche, to oversee it. The participants recite prayers along with the lama on the first day. The second day, everyone fasts and they do not speak to one another. Finally, on the third day after obtaining a blessing from the lama, they depart back to their own houses. 7 FINAL UPDATES: Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Project, AUGUST 2017 The fund received by the rebuild committee went directly to rebuild the
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