Dharamshala – For the lone Tibetan nun who is followed everywhere by her 12 dogs the night of December 21 proved more disastrous than a Tsunami, an earthquake and a hurricane. No, the dogs are not her pets. They are members of a family that lost its home to a fire.
Known better as Khyi Ani (Dog Nun) for her extraordinary love for street dogs, the 72-year-old nun now sleeps outside her neighbor’s house, well guarded by her loyal dogs who are often seen nodding their heads in apology when Ani bursts out on them for not maintaining discipline while eating the leftover foods collected by Ani from nearby houses. “These dogs are my children”, says Ani.
But the loyalty of the dogs could not save their mother’s house from fire that made them homeless again.
Ani was invited a few times to join the old people’s home but she refused saying that she would not want the dogs to be separated from her.
Ani would take the dogs into the jungles and hide them from the government veterinary staff who came to poison them or inject contraceptives.
“When we were trying to control the fire, Ani was more worried that her dogs missed their dinner that night”, says a surprised Tenzin who joined the group of people trying to bring down the fire.
A group of 6 people (some may call atheist) who had opted to stay back than go for the Amaravati Kalachakra had initiated a crusade to build a new home for Ani. A donation box made from an empty oil tin is placed outside Chukis, a restaurant in the town, to collect money for the benevolent task. The work for the reconstruction of Ani’s house began today.
Tenzin Palden, a local youth, coordinates the reconstruction with volunteers. As two French nationals and an Irish began to lay the foundation for the house an American and a few Tibetans carried bags of cement and sand on their backs to the site.
Readers wishing to provide help in any capacity can contact Tenzin Palden at +91 9816368765
