How it started
DANGKHAR, IN THE REMOTE SPITI VALLEY IN THE WESTERN INDIAN HIMALAYAS, IS DRA- MATIC, EVEN FROM A DIS- TANCE. SITUATED ON A SPUR OVERLOOKING THE CON- FLUENCE OF THE SPITI AND ITS LARGEST TRIBUTARY, THE PIN, THE ENERGY OF THE MONASTERY IS PALPABLE. IN THE DOZEN YEARS AND NUMEROUS VISITS SINCE MY FIRST OUTING, I HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO ITS SLOW BUT SURE DETERIORATION. AN AFFINITY TO THE PLACE AND AN EXCELLENT RAPPORT WITH THE VILLAGE AND MONASTIC FRATERNITY WAS A NATURAL OUTCOME OF THESE TRIPS. IN 2006-07 DANGKHAR WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD MONUMENTS FUND, NEW YORK, AS ONE OF THE HUN- DRED MOST ENDANGERED HISTORICAL SITES IN THE WORLD. ROYALTIES FROM MY BOOK, “SPITI THROUGH LEGEND AND LORE” WERE PLEDGED TO THE PROJECT. PROCEEDS FROM MY PICTURE SALES WERE CON- TRIBUTED TO IT. A FEW DONATIONS CAME IN TOO. POSTERS WERE MADE AND PUT UP ALL OVER THE VALLEY, ALONG WITH DO- NATION BOXES. IN OCTOBER 2007 I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO RECEIVE AN EMAIL FROM ONE MARKUS WEISSKOPF, A SWISS BUSINESS ENTREPRE- NEUR AND PHILANTHROPIST. ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO SPITI EARLIER THAT MONTH, HE HAD SEEN THE POSTERS AND PICKED UP A COPY OF MY BOOK. MY REPLY TO HIM WAS SIMPLE. HELP COULD BE OF TWO KINDS – EITHER BY WAY OF EXPERTISE OR BY WAY OF MONEY. BOTH WERE EQUAL- LY WELCOME. MARKUS WROTE BACK TO SAY THAT HE WAS WILLING TO FINANCIALLY SUP- PORT THE ENTIRE PROJECT. WORK FINALLY BEGAN IN EARNEST IN JUNE 2010 WHEN A TEAM OF EXPERTS FROM TU–GRAZ, AUSTRIA, ALSO COMMISSIONED AND FIN- ANCED BY MARKUS, CAME TO DANGKHAR AND CAR- RIED OUT A FIRST STUDY. IN THE MEANTIME THEIR SECOND STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED. NEXT YEAR WE HOPE TO BEGIN WITH THE ACTUAL “BRICK-AND- MORTAR” WORK. CON- FERRING GEOSTABILITY TO THE STRUCTURE IS GOING TO BE AS IMPORTANT IS STRENGTHENING THE STRUCTURE ITSELF. ONCE THAT IS ACCOMPLISHED, IT’S THANGKAS, WALL PAINT- INGS, AND RITUAL OBJECTS WILL BE ATTENDED TO. THE ENTIRE WORK MIGHT TAKE 6 OR 7 YEARS, MAYBE EVEN MORE, GIVEN THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK MORE THAN 5 MONTHS A YEAR IN SPITI BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF ITS WINTER. BUT MARKUS IS WILLING TO WAIT. AS ARE WE. Kishore Thukral
