India-Massive Landslides Hit Ancient Tawang Monastery

[khan]

Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Dharamshala: The famous Tawang Monastery in India's Arunachal Pradesh is under imminent threat of collapse following massive landslides around it. The 330-year-old monastery, also known as Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, which stands on the spur of a hill about 10,000 feet above sea level, is witnessing-massive landslide around it since Monday.

"The situation is getting worse day by day due to continued rains caused massive landslides, people are now helpless, they need emergency assistance," Tenzin, who currently living in Delhi told The Tibet Post International.

The landslide had already damaged the plantation and some electric posts around the monastery located in Twang-chu valley of Tawang district, source said. Chief minister Dorjee Khandu visited the site Friday (26 November) to assess the damage and asked the district administration and public works department to put their men and machine in place to contain further damage to the site.

The monastery, belonging to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, was founded by Mera Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680 in compliance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. The monastery has a three-storey library which boasts of a collection of 400-year-old Kangyur scriptures, large collections of Sutras, commentaries (Tangyur), Buddha's teachings (Sungbhum), old books and invaluable manuscripts -- both handwritten and printed, many of them in gold.

The monastery has 65 residential buildings, currently housing about 450 monks. It controls 17 monasteries and a few nunneries in the region. The monastery is also the largest of its kind in the country and is one of the larges t monasteries in Asia. Though it has the capacity for housing about seven hundred monks, the actual number of resident monks at present is a little more than 450. This monastery is the fountain-head of the spiritual life of the people of this region.

http://www.thetibetpost.com/en/news/international/1280-massive-land...

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India-Minor landslide caused crack near Neyyar Dam in Kerala

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 30 (ANI): The cracks the developed on the ground near the Neyyar Dam on Saturday was the result of a minor landslide in the area, said scientists from the Centre For Earth Science Studies

(CESS), who visited the site on Monday.

CESS scientists also revealed that the crack appeared only as a regional phenomenon on primary examination.

Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran, who visited the area, said that a detailed study

would be conducted once the rainy season was over.

"There is around 120-metre-long crack at the base of dam downstream. We reached here as we got information about the cracks. We have relocated people living nearby as a precautionary measure. The government will take appropriate measures after examining the extend of damage," said Premachandran.

The dam is located at the foot of the Western Ghats on the Neyyar River. It was constructed in 1958 and is a popular picnic spot. (ANI)

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/11/30/minorlandslide-caused-crack-near-neyyar-dam-inkerala.html

[Malou (Marie Louise) Geleff]

Hope they find a better place, where they can re-locate...

[Jo Vonbargen]

I've heard of this monastery. I sincerely hope it will be saved. All those ancient manuscripts...

[khan]

Minor landslide
Wednesday, December 01, 2010

HEAVY rain and strong winds last weekend caused landslide in Savusavu, Vanua Levu.

Residents and taxi drivers said the landslide happened last Friday night during the heavy downpour at the tourist town.

Taxi driver Kamal Deo said the landslides did not cause any damage.

"The landslides happened on the roadsides outside the town area but it didn't block off the road nor damaged the roads so we were lucky," he said.

"The houses directly on the path of the landslides were also saved."
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=160992