Photo Gallery of the Construction
of the Chodrak Nunnery Gonpa

In 2005, under the auspicious guidance and advice from His Eminence Saljey Rinpoche and Venerable Sonam Tenzin Rinpoche, the lay committee from Australia and Tibet’s Barom Kagyu Chodrak Pende Ling embarked on the immense project of rebuilding the Gompa of the Dechen Choling Chodrak Nunnery in Yushu Province

Years of disrepair to the monastery building (due to lack of money) has resulted in an extremely unsafe and dangerous building environment for the nuns to practice. This literally meant a collapsed ceiling and compounds falling down around the nuns while they nuns practice in the old Meditation Hall/Main Shrine Room

The old Gompa with its mud covered exterior and cracks visible from the naked eye

With the great generosity of donors from Australia and Malaysia, the tireless effort and time from volunteer fundraisers and the endless support from Venerable Sonam Tenzin Rinpoche over the last few years, the vision and the project for the reconstructing a new Gompa at Chodrak Nunnery finally began…

Architect’s impression of the new Chodrak Gompa

Stage 1

The DIY way to building a Gompa in Tibet: picking, sorting and selecting your raw materials.

Stage 2

Foundation work and building inspection.

Stage 3

Completion of the first level of the gompa.

Stage 4

Second level of the gompa.

Stage 5

Painted building and roof exterior.

Stage 6

Golden roof ornaments added to the roof.

Stage 7

Painted interior of the Gompa with the detailed plasterwork around column and ceilings.

View from the right side of Shrine Room	Entrance to Shrine Room
View from the left side of Shrine Room	Front of the Shrine Room
First floor area	Corridor leading into rooms on 2nd floor

A new beginning at Chodrak Nunnery

The nuns of Chodrak Nunnery gathered for the Practice of Amadaya and conducted their very first puja in the new Shrine Room. The Shrine Room was decorated with the beautiful and colourful thankas and furnitures from the old gompa..

After the practice, they gathered happily for a group photo in front of the new building

Happy smiles all around	The new 3 years retreat nuns of 2008

Remaining projects awaiting completion in 2008-2009:

Thanks to the ongoing support and donations from our generous benefactors over the years, we have been fortunate to provide the Main Shrine with many Buddha statues. The front of the shrine room will be graced by:

• A gilded 6 meter high Sakyamuni Buddha statue will grace the front of the shrine room.
• A 2 meter high partly gilded thousand arms Cherenzig statue (for Nyun Nye practice).
• A 2 meter high gilded Guru Rinpoche statue
• A 2 meter high gilded Green Tara statue
• Smaller gilded statues of Kagyu lineage masters: Marpa , Mila and Gompopa

The side and the back of the Main Shrine will be flanked by 1000 individual Buddha statues (housed inside specially made/decorated wooden/glass cabinet).

Additionally, a painted Mandala ceiling (above the Inner Shrine area) and 4 exterior murals (on either side of the entrance door) featuring the 4 Dharma Kings has been commissioned by the Nunnery Abbot and Venerable Sonam Tenzin Rinpoche and are in the process of being carry out by local artists

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

If you feel inspired by the dedication, perseverance and courage of the nuns of Chodrak Nunnery, please donate generously towards our project. As the Buddha said, the gift of Dharma is immeasurable. Help us accomplish this grand project that His Eminence Saljey Rinpoche and Venerable Sonam Tenzin Rinpoche have entrust us .

If you like further information on this project, please contact Venerable Sonam Tenzin Rinpoche’s on 0439 349 613 or write to Sonam Tenzin Rinpoche or Chodrak Pendeling