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Medicine Buddha: Thubchen Gompa, Lo Manthang
Thubchen Gompa, Lo Manthang, Mustang region
In 1470 a great gompa was completed in the Mustang region of Nepal. Artists from western Tibet and Kathmandu had laboured for years to build what has become one of the greatest surviving monuments of Tibetan art. The small walled town of Lo had become wealthy fom trade between Tibet and Nepal. The highlands of Tibet were a days ride north and the lowlands of Nepal, two weeks arduous travel through the gorges of the Kali Gandaki river.
All round the interior wall of this large building are glorious paintings. After five hundred years of continuous use the level of deterioration had become serious. The roof was sagging, threating to collapse and damage precious altar statues and the five metre high wall paintings had considerable water damage.
Under the direction of John Sanday, an English architect resident in Kathmandu, and with funding from the American Himalayan Foundation - a restoration project was commenced. Fresco experts were brought from Italy and local assistants were trained. Over several summer seasons the building was stabilised and the glories of the natural-pigment paintings revealed.
I have seen this gompa several times before, during and after restoration. The transformation is astonishing. The artistic quality of these great paintings matches, or even exceeds, the better known works in Toling and Tsaparang of western Tibet.
On our trek to Mustang in July 2003 we have three nights in Lo. Time to explore at leisure this magnificent art treasure.
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Spaces on the Mustang trek are limited, so if you are interested, check the page:
Highlands of Mustang: July - Aug 2003
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revision 20sep02
http://www.greenkiwi.co.nz/footprints/photo/ph0210.htm
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