Shri Nalanda Dharma Center

The Jamyang school caters to disadvantaged children, many of them coming from communities that were the earliest inhabitants of lands along the Indus Read more River in Ladakh. Their ancient culture and tradition is very unique, they speak for example a language of their own. There are seven to eight villages settled along the banks of the Indus River including the villages of Dha, Hanu, Beima, Darchik, & Garkon.  In post-independence India, due to their isolation, they not only lived in poverty, but also were neglected, especially in the field of education. More than one third of the children selected for the Jamyang School come from these settlements. Initially, the idea was to set up an educational institution in the vicinity of the villages, but since there was a lack of space to build schools and it was unlikely that qualified teachers could be convinced to settle there, it was decided to set up a boarding school in Leh.  The idea of Jamyang Boarding School came into existence in 2006, when during one of his visits to Ladakh, His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed concern over the lack of educational facilities for children from remote areas, especially from the Brogpa and Dardish communities. Subsequently  a large piece of land in a valley outside Leh, the capital of Ladakh, was donated by the Ladakh Buddhist Association with the blessing of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and a first building was constructed. 63 students from the above-mentioned villages started their schooling on 1st of September, 2008.  The mission of the school is to empower children from the most disadvantaged sections of society, by providing them access to the best modern education as well as promoting ethical values and knowledge of the children’s Buddhist culture. The school’s story is one of resounding success, exemplifying what can be achieved by selfless involvement and humaneness of the couple of monks who conceived the project and their carefully selected team of staff and teachers. Today, in 2022, 309 children are learning and living at the Jamyang boarding school.