Zanskar Transcript
Living Sanctuaries — Film Transcript
What makes Zanskar unique to me is it hasn't gone through the cultural revolution and the Chinese occupation. So a lot of the built heritage is still intact, and it's such a big part of a living culture. So the monasteries, the monks are still living here. It's part of their day-to-day life. So that makes it very interesting for me personally.
Zanskar in particular, because of all the new roads being constructed, I think it's at the cusp of going through a big change. So I thought now is a really critical time to document and help the local monasteries with the preservation.
For Buddhist teachings to survive we need monks. Without practitioners, the teachings cannot survive. And for monks to survive, we need monasteries. But who knows what the future holds. It's worrisome. The religious factor, if you like, is just such an important part of people's lives here. That aspect of it will survive. They'll always be alive, but we have to try and make sure that something of the traditional buildings survive in the process.
[On-screen text] In May 2024, a group of young Tibetan architects and engineers from New York and Dharamsala travels to Zanskar, a remote region in Northern India. Parts of Zanskar Valley, with harsh and long winters, are considered some of the coldest continually inhabited places in the world. After a 20-hour journey from Dharamsala, the team descends into the Zanskar Valley, situated 13,000 feet above sea level.
I've been working in New York as a structural engineer, preservation engineer and as an architect for about 10 years. So a little over two years I started Studio Nyandak Architecture and Engineering. Since I started now we have two offices, one in New York and one in Dharamsala. In New York we have about seven employees and the Dharamsala satellite office we started about one year ago. In Dharamsala we have about 11 young Tibetan and Zanskari architects and engineers.
So my name is Tenzin Nyandak. I was born in Choglamsar, Ladakh, not too far from Zanskar. I went to TCV schools all over India. And then I went to architecture school in Delhi. And then I immigrated to the US in 2008. In the US, I went to study engineering. And I did my undergrad in New York and my master's in Spain and Portugal. The projects in New York are mostly we focus on for-profit private projects. And the money that we make from the private projects in New York, we use that to fund the Dharamsala office.
First of all, just as we told you earlier, that we have a Zanskar boy, Stankyong. He lives in Zanskar himself and he did the preliminary measurements and he took all those photos because we haven't been there. Through references, we got to know more about the monasteries, how it was built.
The team in Dharamsala, they focus on three separate areas. So one is helping New York with the private projects, and that's how we fund the Dharamsala team. The second part is working for pro bono projects in in and around Dharamsala. The third part is the research. So right now we are doing four research, two that are architecture and historic preservation related, and two that are purely technical engineering focused research. And then the Buddhist Monasteries in Zanskar, which is part of this project. For that we focused on seven to eight monasteries and each of our team members for the past six months we have been focusing on trying to collect as many data as possible, doing a lot of historical background research.
For that we are working with John Harrison and Ingun Amundsen. And this is the first stage of the project where our team members are doing the measured documentation in Zanskar.
In the past few months I've also been doing the background research on the history of the monasteries and the history of Zanskar in general. So some of the dating of the structure. Our plan is to collect small wood samples and send it to the lab to do carbon dating.
We are going to focus on during this trip, maybe the main prayer hall... ..because we have only three, four, five days, so we have to focus on one.
Well, that's why I asked you this question. What is the intention behind the whole work? What will the aim of the work be? If the aim is also to maintain the most important things, it would be to focus on that.
Another interesting thing with Zanskar and Ladakh, it's such a part of a day-to-day living culture. They constantly make small changes here and there. And it's not like a museum kind of setup where you don't touch it. So all the murals, they keep painting over the mural. But it's also part of the charm, so it's complicated.
Still, we should keep in mind that some of the really old things are very precious, because they are authentic.
I'm Ingun Bruskland Amundsen from Norway. And I'm a very happy architect, you know. To really enjoy your profession, I think you have to love it. And the reason why I got interested in the Himalayas was also because I wanted a job where I could do something for people in a more close and meaningful manner than I felt I could do as an architect in Norway.
For me to be a mentor in this context is a gift in a way. They have such a genuine dedication and curiosity and interest in what they are doing. And it seems to me they are doing great work.
And then we have this one, this is like the... It has a very good, how do you say, use when it comes to finding out the angles.
I'm John Harrison, a British architect from Wales. And I've been travelling in the Himalaya for over 30 years now. And documenting and restoring traditional buildings. Mostly in Ladakh and in Mustang, Nepal. And now with this very interesting trip with Tenzin and his team to the monasteries of Zanskar.
Meeting Tenzin again in Leh, Ladakh after 20 years, which was quite a surprise, then asking if I was interested in joining in. Because I've been working and drawing and restoring buildings in this area for a long time, I've got to build up a certain amount of knowledge of the traditional buildings here. And so he thought it would be useful if I could be there with the team to advise, to act as he says, as a mentor, because they are all very young architects and engineers.
Yeah, they went to get it.
And then this projects out three inches and a quarter.
So I hope I'm able to help them with the work they're doing and pass on maybe some of the experience I've collected over the years.
My name is Stanzin Stankyong and I was born in Zanskar. Currently I work as an engineer at Studio Nyandak. With the Studio, among other things, my focus has been on research specifically on the monasteries of Zanskar and their history. That's been my focus.
The way Zanskar is set up is... We are surrounded by snow-mountains and we have two rivers in the middle. One is called Tserap and the other Lungnag. And the confluence of the two together is known as Zanskar River.
Zanskar used to receive a lot of snowfall in the winters. In the old days we remained inaccessible up to six months of the year. But nowadays because of climate change we have much less snow. And we are beginning to face challenges such as water shortages due to environmental changes.
I feel fortunate working on this project because firstly Zanskar is my home and secondly I am an engineer. This project is about Zanskar's monasteries and its cultural heritage. And it gives me the opportunity to serve my community. So I feel fortunate to be a part of this team.
Now with this project, since it deals with monasteries and preserving the old structures and stories I feel specially interested in the topic. So I have been pondering how I can best contribute to this work.
Tibetan architecture developed with the new Tibetan Kingdom in the 7th century onwards, and then the Tibetan Empire spreading it around east and west and into the Himalaya. It started off taking influences from India and from China, but developed very much a language of its own, which has spread into these mountain areas outside Tibet itself, and intimately connected with Tibetan Buddhism.
-Should we keep going? -Yeah.
The religious buildings have always been really the places where the architecture started from, and spread out to secular buildings, palaces and then smaller houses. And it just seems to have chanced upon or developed this happy knack of fitting into the landscape, and particularly in the mountain areas like this, the buildings just seem to grow out of the rocks, sometimes quite literally. So it's those features of heavy masonry walls emerging on a slope out of the rock, historically with quite small windows.
So we picked six or seven monasteries based on their significance and also based on the distance. There are some other monasteries that are a little further away.
Zanskar has gone through a lot of changes because of its location. On one hand it's very secluded but on the other hand it's right at the intersection of some big empires, Tibetan empires on the east and then you have Ladakh empire, then you have the Kulu, the Kashmir, the Balti, Gilgit. So Zanskar has gone through a lot of changes.
In terms of history, we study scientific and academic history and then we have the traditional history, which are mostly biographies. So I'm trying to be careful trying to work with both narratives. And what makes it also interesting is because of the Tibetan occupation of Zanskar and the Ngari Khorsum empire that has had a lot of impact on Zanskar.
So the first stage is the documentation. Six months ago, one of our team members, Stankyong, who is from Zanskar, he went to all the monasteries and interviewed the monk managers in each monastery to gather the history of the monastery. And then each team member picked one monastery or nunnery. So they used Stankyong's photographs, videos, oral interviews and floor plans. So whatever resources we were able to get our hands on, we used those to try to prepare the floor plans and elevation drawings. And we had some sessions before we left for the trip in order to come up with a standardized way of documenting all the monasteries.
[On-screen text] Owing to Phuktal Monastery’s remote location, team member Passang Tashi will remain here with the monks for the next five days, while the rest of the team returns to their base in Karsha. During his stay, Passang will meticulously create measured drawings of the entire monastery.
Parts of Zanskar around Padum, I think they're already lost, which is rather sad.
But that's the way the world goes.
Hopefully we can manage to save a few old buildings which will be there for the future. When you look at Padum and all the construction works going on there, you see that already now Padum looks very different from the past. My worry is that all these developments are happening very erratic, very unplanned, and that means the strongest powers are getting the most influence. That's not most beneficial for humankind, I'm afraid.
Zanskar in particular, because of all the new roads being constructed, I think it's at the cusp of going through a big change. So I thought now is a really critical time to go and document and research and help the local monasteries with the preservation as much as possible.
For Studio Nyandak, I thought that this is such a good opportunity to mentor the younger generations of architects and engineers. And then for me it's very important to go to the actual site and to come face-to-face with the buildings, and then to measure and to read about the buildings, and then to talk to other scholars who have written books about the monasteries. But the other thing I did wonder about was the weight of this lantern and how thick the earth is because of those very, very small beams which are deflecting. So whether you open up the whole of that and certainly put some stronger beams...
Legend has it that Zanskar is shaped like a female ogress (demoness) lying down and Karsha Monastery is supposedly the shoulder. And Sani Monastery being the head of the ogress. So that's the legend. For Buddhist teachings to endure, the presence of monks is essential. And for monks to be sustained, the existence of monasteries is crucial. But it's hard to say what the future holds. It's worrisome. It's really worrisome. As long as this land endures, monasteries remain indispensable. Currently we have about eight old monasteries here. There are five Gelug monasteries and there are three Kagyu monasteries. That's where we are now and it's hard to say what the future holds.
So it's important to preserve what we have. Certainly we do tell the local community how important it is to preserve our monasteries here. And we cannot do that without support and participation from the local community. We try to remind them constantly and of course many feel the same way. But times have changed and it's a challenge. Fewer people choose to become monks these days.
[On-screen text] In 2023, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Zanskar region, causing damage to sections of Karsha Monastery.
So more on this side. It looks like this corner shifted. Right?
We have experienced earthquakes before but never so intensely. We haven't experienced many damages before. But we had two earthquakes last year. One followed by the other. It was the most intense so far. The main hall has been leaning a bit from before but now it's on the verge of collapse. It might fall if we experience another earthquake like that. So yes, the recent one was the most intense and another earthquake like this would be devastating. There's no doubt we need to protect these sites. No, it's also good that it's actually a functioning building. It's not just a dead monument.
And that's the danger when we restorers come in, that something gets restored as a monument, rather than a building with a living function. The religious factor, if you like, is just such an important part of people's lives here. I think that aspect of it will survive. They'll always be alive, but we have to try and make sure that something of the traditional buildings survive in the process.
She's the eldest nun. I've come from Dharamsala.
My name is Dechen Tsogyal and I was born in India. I studied Civil Engineering. I've been with Studio Nyandak for the last one year or so. My focus here is on two places. One is Dorjee Zong Nunnery and the other is Muney Monastery. These are the stairs. I'll complete this today first... One of the biggest concerns here is climate change. Most of the locals here have been telling me that in the past there is not much rain here. But now they are experiencing much more rain these days. That brings complications with structures here because of the flat roofs. With modern sloped roofs, the water from the rain easily flows down. But with flat roof structures, the water gets logged on the roof.
And that can cause leaking and structural damages. That's one thing. And the other concern is the dwindling number of people joining the monasteries.
This being my first time here and witnessing Tibetan culture and heritage first-hand makes it very special for me. Then seeing the stark difference between new monasteries in India and the old ones here was very apparent. Because in most new constructions, they use modern materials like concrete and steel but here they still use mud and clay for walls and wood for pillars and such. That difference is very apparent. Moreover realizing how old and precious some of these structures are I feel specially driven to contribute to this project of preservation.
My philosophy and my approach is to try to stick to traditional way of constructing as much as possible and try not to use modern materials. In the long run, traditional technique, if done right, outperforms the modern construction technique. We've been using concrete for a little over 100 years, so we don't know the history, whereas the mud blocks and the timber frame construction that you see here in Zanskar have been going on for more than a thousand years.
But in Zanskar, one thing I noticed is that the monks are very cautious about this approach, and I didn't have to convince them to not use concrete. And the material properties are also very different if you compare the modern materials versus the traditional material. The thermal expansion and the reaction to temperature changes, moisture, it's all very different.
I've been working with Studio Nyandak for the past eight to nine months, and currently I'm working with Studio Nyandak as the structural engineer. Right now, we are in the lower prayer hall of Bardan Monastery. As part of our research, we are documenting seven to eight Monasteries in Zanskar Valley, of which Bardan is the one that I'm doing. Bardan Monastery is situated in Lungnag Valley of Zanskar. And the phase one of this project is to document the existing plans of Gonpa. This is the, I think the fourth day, so I pretty much measured all the Assembly Hall and all the other Monk Quarters. I need to get the final layout of the courtyard, the roof plan, and set of other measured documents of all the floor plans.
So that's what I've done till now, and I plan on getting rest of the measurements as soon as I can, and tomorrow I'll be working on the elevations and sections if time allows. Come here. -Do you see the wooden door? -Yeah. The brown one? So that's the courtyard wall. The courtyard is in front of that. So this is the kitchen we are looking at.
Bardan, when I first looked in the photo, it stands on a rock, it sits on a rock. So each floor has different levels. So like in total, Bardan would have about eight to nine floors, but if you look at it, it looks like it only has three floors. So that was one of my major challenges. So when you have to draw sections, you have to cover each floor. So being there, Bardan having a lot of multiple floors, it's gonna be hard to draw the sections Of the Assembly Hall yesterday that we covered. This is the roof plan of Bardan. All of us being fresh architects and engineers, I think this is a very experiential project for all of us, us having Nyandak la to mentor us.
And on top of, we have John and Ingun, who have more experience than us. So today I focused mainly on this floor, which is where the Protector's Shrine and the Assembly Hall is. So mainly this is the only-- Working with our teammates is actually very interesting about each of our perspectives on the monasteries and how we approach onto documenting it. And with Nyandak la and staff, I mean with John and them, what is really helpful was getting the diagonals. That's what gives all the monastery shapes are very irregular. So none of them have perfect square. So even though they look like a square, they're not a perfect square. So getting the diagonals was the, I think one of the most important parts.
So that's what I'm doing today. You would also have the columns surely coming up or... Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have two columns that are at least right? So you would see the columns here.
The traditional architecture we see here is not interesting just only for Bhutan, Zanskar, Tibet and the region, but it's also interesting for a larger global context. The traditions we see here, still alive, have been there in the rest of the world long ago, but it is forgotten, it's lost. So in a way, this area of the world is a kind of repository for knowledge of humankind, which is a very important you know.
I think for students to actually learn how to document, to learn to understand what the drawings tell you, not only of a building and its structure and windows and doors and all this, but what are the meaning of the building in a larger context. Like for these monasteries also, how have they been a part of the local community? How do they serve the villages? How do the villagers gain merit from working for the monasteries? How are these things inter-linked?
My research is on Sani Monastery. Sani is considered the oldest monastery in Zanskar. This monastery is believed to be built by Kanika, the emperor of Kushan Empire. That's why the name is Kanishka. Kanishka temple was built in the 2nd Century. That traces the arrival of Buddhism here even before Tibet, because Buddhism arrived in Tibet only in the 7th Century. So that's how old Kanishka temple is.
You can get the height. Yeah, I have the laser, but then you know how do we... There's no end point. No, in your laser you can do the horizontal and then angle and it'll give you the height. Ah, yeah. Say if you measure to this point here where it sticks out, the underside of that...
Last night, you told us about this one. I didn't understand this one. Oh, to show the direction. I take a great pride in Tibetans working in the Tibetan community, working with younger Tibetan professionals. And it's also very inspiring for the community and the end users to see their own community member taking charge and bringing the expert opinion on the matter.
Stongdey Monastery was built during the 11th Century. Stong means a thousand and dey means families. So in essence it means a village of thousand families. It was originally a Kagyu Monastery which later became a Gelug Monastery. Before this I've only seen these places in pictures and videos but being here physically is quite different. It feels like I'm in Tibet. The shape of the houses, the way people dress... This is their guesthouse. And the local monks here have been very kind. When I was working here they'd bring me food and tea often. They were always willing to help. I really appreciated that. The floor level here is different. when we enter over here.
So I just sketched the lines like this. Hmm, it would be good to have a fairly detailed drawing of the whole complex here but then you might need to do a bigger drawing of the individual and to show more detail.
[On-screen text] Team member Passang Tashi finally returns to Karsha from Phuktal Monastery.
How did it go? -It went well. -Nice. You've put on some weight. He gained some weight.
In the sapphire sky, shines brightly, the full moon. In the sapphire sky, shines brightly, the full moon. Its silver glow paints your face in the hush of the night.
While we are doing the phase one documentation, we've been talking to the Changzoe and Lopoen and the Khenpos of each monastery to try to find out ways to continue the collaboration for the renovation.
The monks here are pretty involved in the maintenance of the monastery and in renovation. So working with Stankyong and the monks, I think we have a good system and involvement from the local community and the end users, the monks themselves.
For future, it's the local community and the members of the community that has to step up and take the ownership of the work.
We need more time, that's the problem. It's far too short a project at the moment. We're rushing around trying to do as much as we can. But I'm hoping it's useful. I think that's a bit of a point about the mission we have here and now. So the fact that we come here at this crucial moment and do the documentation of how the religious institutions are today are really important for the future. And then we can also benefit from coming up with proposals for improvements based on that.
