KINNAUR

Jampa Choling Monastery is situated in Kinnaur, a district of Himachal Pradesh state. It is just south of Spiti district, and east of the Shimla area. Jampa means Maitreya in Tibetan. This is our newest project. As of 2003, no volunteer teachers have visit there. Due to the beautiful surroundings and the relatively mild climate, volunteering at this project would be an ideal opportunity.

Most of the nuns at Jampa Choling have had at least five or six years of schooling. At school, they have had a few classes in English, which would make teaching easier. Until they get a full-time philosophy teacher, they would be delighted to begin studies in English or other subjects. Volunteers who speak Hindi are especially welcome.

Health

Kinnaur is a fairly remote area, with limited medical facilities. Shimla, the nearest major city on the way to Kinnaur, is an excellent place for medical care. In Kinnaur, is possible to get worms from the water; so be sure to take extra precautions and drink only boiled water, purified water, or bottled soft drinks. Worms are not too bad as parasites go, but can make you lose weight and are expensive to get rid of at home. It is advisable to take a couple of worm pills to take with you, just in case. These are available at any pharmacy in India.

Language

The local language is Kinnauri, of ancient Tibetan derivation with many Hindi borrowings. Hindi is taught in the local schools. Hindi or Urdu will be more useful here than Tibetan.

Post

The mailing address for the monastery is:

Jampa Choling Monastery
Village Chuling, P.O. Meru
Tehsil Nichar, Dist. Kinnaur
Himachal Pradesh 172104
India

Miscellaneous

The Hindi name for the village is Miru. In Kinnauri, it is called Mirting. A nearby village, Chuling, is also known as Juling.

Travel

Public buses travel daily from Shimla to Kinnaur. The trip to Chuling takes a full day by bus, plus about a two-hour walk. It is also possible to go by taxi from Shimla (about $100). You do not need an innerline permit to travel to Chuling, located in lower Kinnaur.

The nicest route to Shimla is by train, if you have time. A regular train goes from Delhi to Kalka, and from there you transfer to a wonderful narrow-gauge railroad that takes the scenic route up the mountain. In Shimla, the best place to stay is the YMCA, located a hefty walk uphill from the train station.

Have a safe trip!