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“The beautiful approach to Thame is completely washed away and instead there is a canyon of stones and gushing water from what are now three streams flowing through the village.”
“All these houses have suffered damage and some are damaged beyond repair.”
As previously reported, on August 16 of this year, the village of Thame, birthplace of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, was hit with a devastating flood which destroyed homes, community property, and everything owned or cherished by villagers. Remarkably, not a single life was lost, but the loss of everything else was immense. The river that used to flow next to the village now runs directly through it, taking up half the land. The ground is unstable with landslides and cracks. The future of the entire settlement remains completely uncertain.
Venerable Sarah Thresher recently shared some photos, videos, and her reflections on the situation in Thame. This footage, and her thoughtful insight, really highlight the severity of the situation, and the need for all of our help:
“It was impossible not to feel a deep sadness surveying the damage in Thame as the whole landscape of the village has changed irreparably: potato fields are strewn with sand and boulders, houses and lodges have been swept away or irreparably damaged, and the land is cracking, unstable and subsiding.
“Right now, it’s hard to know what the future holds. But we found a community working together and striving to keep hope alive and rebuild and reopen despite the pain in their hearts—and your support really does make a difference.”
“First view of Thame … it’s still so beautiful despite the destruction. Such a special place.”
Video from the Yak Hotel, Thame Nepal:
https://youtube.com/shorts/_jPUafS4oxI?si=GzXrtG6zX8bYcXuJ
“[Regarding video]: This is the view from the back window of the Yak Hotel where I stayed in June. The dining room and kitchen were swept away along with the original house, new shower and toilet and the whole back garden and connected fields. The guesthouse is now perched over a roaring river and gutted… Behind, houses, the school, a clinic and guesthouse were washed away. It’s not even possible for the locals to say where they were located—the landscape has changed so much.”
Ruins of the Yak Hotel.
“Ruins of the Yak Hotel perched over the new river that has replaced a gentle stream flowing through green fields. To get to the hotel from Rinpoche’s house it is now necessary to climb down the bank of the river, clamber over huge boulders and then walk over a simple makeshift bridge.”
Video of view from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birth home and prayer wheel:
https://youtube.com/shorts/MSY4UDj1N8Y?si=oDcGUTURAP0oOBjT
“[Regarding the video]: The view from Rinpoche’s birth house and the prayer wheel. Potato fields are now strewn with sand and boulders and houses washed away.”
Ani Tsultrim praying at Rinpoche’s throne in his birth home, Thame, Nepal.
“Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birth house which is now a makeshift restaurant and hotel for Rinpoche’s relatives who lost the Yak Hotel. Here is Ani Tsultrim praying to Rinpoche’s throne as the early morning sunlight streams through the window.”
View from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birth house.
“View from the prayer wheel, which was sponsored by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Rinpoche’s sister Anila Ngawang Samten, and Rinpoche’s house.”
Video of the view of Thame from the ridge and Tara Temple:
https://youtube.com/shorts/NWsHg0PwSNk?si=hfz8BWfdn1dufrpk
“[Regarding video]: The view of Thame from the ridge and Tara Temple above. The houses hugging the ridge are okay but the view is deceptive because many of these fields and house are unstable and sinking and cracking—no longer habitable. The future is uncertain. As the camera pans around you see how the village is now cut by three rivers which have formed gullies and the upper part of the village is now fields strewn with boulders and sand.”
Kayla and Yangchen of Thame’s Yak Hotel. “We laugh and smile but there is pain in our hearts.”
“Kayla and Yangchen are trying to rebuild their lives amid all the uncertainty, making a place for trekkers and pilgrims to eat and stay. They lost their Yak Hotel in the flash flood and were lucky to be able to run for their lives and survive. ‘We laugh and smile but there is pain in our hearts,’ Kayla told me.
“No matter how much you hear about it nothing prepares you for the devastation of Thame when you see it.”
With grateful thanks to Ven. Sarah Thresher for these words, photos, and video.
How to Help
In response to this crisis, the Thame Support Fund has been established to provide essential aid to the residents of Thame and support their future needs. The fund will be administered through Kopan’s Helping Hands, who will work directly with the community to assess and address their needs. Please consider offering support at this most critical time: https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/thame/
Please watch and read about a recent interview with a Thame family who describe their experience, and the uncertain situation of Thame.
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.