KORSTA NUNNERY

Kortsa nunnery is in Ladakh, Northern India. Ladakh is situated between the Himalaya and the Karakoram mountain ranges, with altitudes between 2,500m and 7,000m above sea-level. It borders Tibet, Pakistan and Kashmir Valley and consists of Leh and Kargil districts. Ladakh is the least inhabited part of India because of its very harsh conditions.

The mountains form a natural barrier to the Indian monsoon clouds and Ladakh receives
less than 100mm of rain per year, and can be considered a high-altitude cold desert, where temperatures go down to as low as minus 40degrees C in winter.

SOME SOLAR ENERGY FOR ELECTRICITY - THE MAHE TREE PLANTING PROJECT

Kortsa, like the rest of Ladakh is not connected to India’s national grid. Main towns like Leh have diesel generators or/and mini-hydro schemes.

As the diesel generators are extremely expensive to run and maintain and only supply 3-4 hours of energy in the evening, and the hydro-stations are shut down most of the winter months, [due to the extremely low temperatures, which freeze most rivers and streams], the nuns have had solar power cells installed for lighting in their rooms. This way during the dark winter months they can practice and study with more than candle light.

The nuns at Kortsa have woodburning stoves in their rooms to stay warm during winter, but there is a problem with finding fuel. This is part of the reason that the Mahe Tree Planting Porject has been developed. This project has been developed to create woodland in Ladakh on land below Kortsa. [PLEASE SEE THE MAHE TREE PROJECT tab at the top of the page]

The nuns can use the woodland to support themselves - buy selling wood and these sustainable woodlands will help to regenerate areas that have been dry and dusty for many years. Environmentally this project will be important and hopefully we will manage to made a micro climate that may encourage rainfall.

keeping warm

How our plantation will look

SOLAR POWER

The nuns at Kortsa now have warm rooms to sleep and practice in, as most have glass roofs on their rooms. They also now have solar power to heat water. These are basic needs - warmth against the freezing winter conditions; it is always preferable to have a little warm water when considering a wash!

Before this year, when winter set in and the pump froze up, the nuns had to walk quite a way, through 3 feet of snow to get some water from the spring, often in minus 30 degrees or below. Now that the nuns have a pump that is housed, so it should not freeze over and having the solar water heating in place it will give them more time to study and practice during the winter months.

GREAT NEWS.... THE SOLAR HAS WORKED AT MINUS 43 DEGREES CELCIUS

This winter was a very severe one for Ladakh. At Kortsa the temperature fell below minus 40 degrees Celcius. The new solar equipment has proved worthwhile as the temperature dropped the nuns still had light and hot water. There was 15 feet of snow in some of Kortsa and we wait to hear the rest of the details when the nuns become accessible in April/May.

We have also built several greenhouses so the nuns will have fresh vegetables throughout the year. We are looking forward to hearing how successful they are at these temperatures.

Kortsa greenhouse

SUBMERSIBLE PUMPHOUSE AND SOLAR PANELS FOR PUMP

KORTSA NEWS LETTER NOVEMBER 2007

We are delighted to report to you that construction of the Kortsa Nunnery Solar Project has been completed, under the guidance of Dechen.

The nuns quarters were built last year, there are 43 bigger rooms and 10 smaller single rooms; two greenhouses are up and working; and there is a ten cubicle bathroom completed with solar water heater .

Thanks to the support of so many of you, we raised just over £26,000 which has covered most of the cost of the solar equipment and the building costs of the bathhouse and nuns blocks. The remaining money owed is around £6,000 that is needed to cover the cost of the submersible pump - any donations you could manage would be very helpful.

I think most of you will know Dechen by name if not in person..... she was chosen by His Holiness to oversee the construction of the Kortsa Solar Project, and she is also the lay person in Ladakh who keeps an eye on the nuns welfare. She will also be helping with the Tree Planting Project in Ladakh this year.

Dechen said "This project will become an example for the whole of Ladakh, if we are successful in running it at temperatures of -35 degrees Celsius." Well is has now become the successful example for Ladakh as it withstood temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius.

"By the Blessing of His Holiness, there is no obstacle in any field so don't worry about anything."

Thank you again on behalf of His Holiness, the nuns and Drukpa Trust and Drukpa UK, we will keep you posted.

The nuns have their own website now on www.drukpa-nuns.org where you can find inspiring information on the lives of female practitioners of the past and information letters about the modern day nuns. It is a very beautiful website and certainly should be looked at. If you wish to get in touch with us please write to: Drukpa UK , 114 Harvist Road, London NW6 6HJ or email us at: sponsor@drukpa.org.uk or phone us on +44 (0) 20 8964 2337.

To make a donation, click on one of the following options below:

* To make an online credit card payment click here.
* To make a one off or regular payment by cheques, postal order or direct debit, download the postal form here