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Chinese authorities have ordered all monks and nuns whose residences were recently demolished at Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Serthar to leave the religious centre and return to their native monasteries or family homes, according to Tibet Times.
As reported by Tibet Times, the directive prohibits displaced monastics from remaining at Larung Gar under any circumstances. The report further stated that authorities have been forcibly sending monks and nuns back to their hometowns following the demolition of their living quarters. According to Tibet Times, Chinese authorities began a fresh demolition drive at Larung Gar on July 13, citing safety concerns linked to overcrowded housing and the large population of monks and nuns. The current campaign reportedly involves the demolition of 1,060 monastic residences at the Buddhist institute. Quoting a source familiar with the developments, Tibet Times reported that authorities had initially planned to demolish the area surrounding Gyutrul Temple. However, after monastery representatives repeatedly appealed, warning that such action could damage the temple, the main shrine hall and the circumambulation path, officials altered their plan. Instead, demolition crews began tearing down the residences of monks and nuns located between the monastic and lay practitioners' quarters, with more than 1,000 dwellings in that section reportedly being demolished. The source further told Tibet Times that the government has issued strict instructions preventing monks and nuns whose residences have been destroyed from remaining at Larung Gar. Monastics from outside Serthar have reportedly been ordered to return to their native monasteries or family homes, while those from Serthar have also been directed to leave the academy and relocate to their respective townships or village monasteries. According to Tibet Times, restrictions have also been tightened within Larung Gar, with local monks, nuns and residents facing increased controls, while pilgrims from other regions are reportedly encountering severe limitations on access to the religious centre. Tibet Times noted that this is not the first such demolition campaign at Larung Gar. Chinese authorities previously carried out large-scale demolitions in 2001, 2016 and 2019, citing reasons including overcrowding and the absence of legal permits. During those operations, authorities also imposed limits on the number of monks and nuns allowed to remain and reportedly deported many monastics to their places of origin. (ANI)
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