Onward and Upward—Temple Diary Updates

The site for the Mindrolling Lotus Garden temple was selected in 2005 during the Lotus Garden Inauguration, and in the years which followed, great masters have visited and blessed the site, many practices have taken place there and many blessings bestowed.

The sangha responded enthusiastically to the fundraising effort with generous contributions, resulting in the decision by Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche to commence with the construction in the autumn of 2015.

Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche has named the future temple, Mindrol Gatsal, which means ‘Garden of Ripening and Liberation’. Plans for landscaping of the temple site include tiered gardens which will feature plantings, waterfalls and benches.

Temple Diary—Photo Gallery

Click on any image to begin slide show. Photos will be added in date ascending order. The most recent photos are at the end.

2015 View of the beautiful hill—site of the future temple.

Kunda Britton Bosarge la, head of Exoansion and Development, talks with the driver of the track loader.

OCTOBER 26 - For many days, large trucks came and went to carry away the large amount of dirt.

OCTOBER 27 - First corner of the basement is dug out.

OCTOBER 28—Work continues on a rainy day, as builder Mark Good checks on the progress.

NOVEMBER 2—A ramp is made to allow machines and workers to enter the basement.

NOVEMBER 3—A resident visits the construction site.

NOVEMBER 3—Visiting the excavation site.

fter a delay due to winter weather and with snow still on the ground, the construction team arrives from Charlottesville to begin the temple foundation.

By twilight work on the footers (around periphery) and piers (square areas) has progressed.

Workers place reinforcing steel bars (rebar) into a pier which will eventually support an important vertical beam.

The concrete pumping truck pumping cement from the cement mixer as workers guide hose to the necessary locations.

Wall-forms arrive for use in contructing the concrete walls and piers of the foundation.

View of workers pumping concrete into wall-forms. 25 cement mixer loads of concrete were required to create the foundation walls!

MARCH 23-Section of wall-forms showing poured concrete. Workers used planks to mount the wall to smooth the new concrete.

MARCH 25—The concrete having set sufficiently, the wall-forms are removed revealing the new foundation wall.

Delivery of stone which will be used on the lower level facade.

Test wall erected to show selected stone for the temple.

MAY 2-Workers pouring concrete for the footer which will provide the main central support wall for the temple.

May 2-Workers applying the concrete from the hose and smoothing the surface.

Once the concrete has dried sufficiently, workers check and touch up the surface of the new concrete floor.

These odd-looking objects which appeared on the land are actually egress wells required by Virginia building codes and will provide for emergency exit from the temple basement.

Workers attach a frame to the foundation, the first step in the first floor deck construction.

Framing of walls for basement rooms and horizontal supports for steel beams. The diamond-shaped cut-away areas on the floor are the locations for vertical support beams.

Builder, Mark Good, reviews the architectural drawings.

Window-well positioning complete, allowing emergency exit from the temple basement. The grates will open on to the surrounding wooden deck.

Filling the drainage trench surrounding the temple.

Contractor Mark Good and managers from the company which fabricated the steel beams, discuss the upcoming delivery and installation. Approximate date of delivery and Phase 1 installation is November 13th. Phase 2 installation is scheduled for mid-January.

NOVEMBER 15-Late afternoon view of basement progress.

NOVEMBER 16-Preparing to lay lines for the septic system. Septic field in the distance.

Preparing the septic field for the new temple

NOVEMBER 28-Truck carrying steel beams approaches Lotus Garden.

NOVEMBER 28--Lowering a vertical beam into position.

NOVEMBER 28--Lowering a horizontal beam into position.

DECEMBER 12--First floor joists are delivered.

December 22--Floor joist installation completed.

DECEMBER 22—Sangha members participating in the Winter Retreat visit the site.

10 JANUARY 2017—Building the first floor deck.

12 JANUARY—Workers build the walls lying flat. They will be raised by crane when completed.

13 JANUARY—Sections of the southern-facing wall lie flat. They will be raised by crane upon completion.

12 JANUARY—Southern wall sections lie flat. The large openings are for the windows. The walls will be raised by crane upon completion.

13 JANUARY—Workers apply Tyvek wrap to allow vapor to escape and to prevent rot and mold inside walls.

13 JANUARY—View to southeast with Tyvek-wrapped wall sections.

25 FEBRUARY—Early morning view of the crane lifting a section of the southern wall into position.

25 FEBRUARY—Positioning a section of the northern wall.

12 MARCH—View of temple with four walls.

5 APRIL—View of first floor interior showing the metal joists for the second floor.

5 APRIL—Workers securing sections of metal joists for the second floor.

10 APRIL— Lifting a metal panel for the second floor deck of the temple.

25 APRIL—Making final adjustments on the metal deck for the second floor of the temple.

25 APRIL—Metal deck for the second floor of the temple.

25 APRIL—View of the Lotus Garden 'downtown' area from the second floor.

25 APRIL—View of present shrine room from the second floor.

25 APRIL—Interior view of temple showing the completed installation of joists and metal decking for second floor.

25 APRIL—Workers construct a safety/wind barrier in preparation for work on the second story of the temple.

3 MAY—Early morning view of cement pumper.

3 MAY—Cement mixer and pumper truck pour concrete for temple's second floor.

3 MAY—Workers spreading concrete on temple's second floor.

3 MAY—Workers smoothing concrete with trowel rider and push trowel.

3 MAY—Smoothing concrete for temple's second floor.

8 JUNE-View of the intertior of the first floor of the temple.

8 JUNE-Walls of second story being constructed on the second floor.

JUNE 10--Britton Bosarge leads sangha members on a tour of the temple.

JUNE 10-Britton Bosarge and sangha members take a last look at the vast 360 degree view on the 2nd floor before the walls are raised.

JULY 11--The crane arrives early in the day to raise walls of the 2nd story.

JULY 11--The first wall panel for the 2nd floor is lifted into position.

JUNE 11-Workers move the east wall into position.

JUNE 13 - Crane raises remaining east wall panel as workers push and position from behind. Bundles of roof trusses can be seen in front of temple.

JUNE 13-Workers install the new east wall panel.

JUNE 13-all panels of east wall are in place. Bundles of roof trusses are in front of temple.

JULY 14-At dawn, first west roof truss is lifted into position.

JULY 14—Interior view of first roof truss in position.

JULY 14-First hip tail is attached to roof truss on western side of temple.

JUNE 14-Intetior view of workers attaching first hip tail.

JULY 14-Hip tails installed being installed on western side of temple.

JULY 14-View of roof installation from Main Shrine Room.

JULY 14-Workers installing hip tails on the roof at the easterb end of the temple.

JULY 14-View of one of four of the roof's corner construction which will feature carved garudas when the temple is completed.

JULY 15-Interior view of 2nd floor and roof trusses.

JULY 14-Lama Roar's photo of a complete rainbow over the temple site.

JULY 15-Preparing to install roof peak trusses. The peak will be topped with a golden spire, deer and dharmachakra.

JUNE 20-Workers sheeting the roof of the temple.

JUNE 20-Roofers sheeting the roof of the temple.

JULY 15-Veranda footers have been installed. The 10 foot wide veranda will run around the entire building. The surface will be a patterned concrete.

JULY 19-Workers constructing the verdanda roof on the front side of the temple.

JULY 19-View of veranda construction from Mindrolling Drive

JULY 29-Rinpoche shows sanga members a sample of the terracotta roof tile selected for the temple.

AUGUST 1- Sample of brown roof tile and granite siding to be used on the temple.

JULY 29-Rinpoche and students admire the view from a 2nd floor window.

AUGUST 1—Workers prepare to install a window.

AUGUST 1-Workers lift one of 16 2nd floor windows into position.

AUGUST 1-interior view of workers installing a window

AUGUST 1-View from newly installed 2nd floor window.

AUGUST 1-Worker adds gravel to the veranda area. The veranda floor will be patterned concrete.

AUGUST 15-Workers apply plywood sheets to the roof of the veranda. Vertical supports show the location of the columns.

AUGUST 15-Working on the veranda roof which will surround the entire temple.

AUGUST 19—one of the four upturned corners of the veranda, each which will be ornamented with a carved dragon.

August 23-Installing frames for the first floor windows.

AUGUST 25-Workers install windows into frames. The transom at the top will provide more light and open to allow the circulation of fresh air.

AUGUST 29-1st floor window with transom installed.

View from 2nd floor of veranda corner construction in process.

Constructing the support structure for the veranda deck.The veranda will extend around the entire temple and be available for over-flow seating when needed.

Looking Ahead…

The building and completion of the magnificent Mindrol Gatsal will be a multi-year project. We welcome your generous offerings so that work may continue without interruption. All donations are tax-deductible.

Your Donation Matters

Mindrolling Charitable Society (MCS) is registered as a private non-profit organization in the United States. It is managed by Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Jetsün Dechen Paldrön and a Board of Directors. All donations go to the support of Mindrolling Charitable Projects/Mindrolling International and are tax-deductible.