Of Earth, Stone and Wood: The Restoration and Conservation of a Buddhist Temple in Ladakh, Indian Himalayas

Abstract

[EN] The Dukhang Yokma is a small Buddhist temple part of the Ensa monastery in the Nubra river valley in Ladakh. The Dukhang was severely damaged by water infiltration soon after its construction at the be- ginning of the 20th century. Water seepage through its stone and mud mortar plinth caused a gradual bulging of the foundations which was followed by a steady shift of the whole structure. In the course of several decades this shift became irreversible and gradually damaged most of the masonry structure. The building had been neglected for several years before an active interest in its preservation emerged. Dur- ing this time, several parts of the buildings were dismantled and the temple’s inner chamber on two sto- reys tilted almost to the point of collapse. The conservation, consolidation and restoration of the temple has been undertaken by Achi Association India from 2018. This article analyses the restoration project and its many challenges, including wall painting stabilization. It explains in detail the issues faced by Achi team members and the way these problems were resolved through making use of local resources in this remote hermitage. One of the most complicated issues was to bring the inner temple’s structural elements back to their original straight position, avoiding any collapse and damage of the wall paintings. The complexity of the task was due to the very fragile mixed structure on two storeys made of wood, mud bricks and stone.