Sewala Monastery: Water Project

Sewala is perched on a mountaintop about 3,000 feet above the Punakha Valley floor. The terrain is rugged with severe inclines and precarious drops in all directions. It also happens to be surrounded by dense, Himalayan subtropical forest which is often difficult to navigate. It was imperative that a clear pathway be established for the longevity and maintenance of the water system.

With the oversight of Sewala’s Principal, the mapping of the most direct route from the monastery to the water source was carefully planned. Young monks helped lay a complex pipeline of interlocking hoses and the monastery’s donkeys transported all the necessary equipment up the mountain to the site. Basins were strategically installed and positioned to aid in the water’s gravity-fed flow and protective storage.