Ani Choying Drolma, the Buddhist nun known around the world for her devotional music, has been appointed vice-chair of the Lumbini Development Trust. The Trust is the government body that looks after the birthplace of Gautama Buddha.
The Cabinet made the decision at its meeting on October 16, on a proposal from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, according to Minister Khadak Raj Paudel. Nepali media reported it on October 17.
What the appointment involves
Drolma, whose full name is Choying Dolma Lama Moktan, was appointed under Section 8(1)(b) of the Lumbini Development Trust Act, 1985 (2042 BS). The term is five years. Under the Trust’s regulations, the vice-chair is also its chief administrative officer, so this is a working leadership role and not a ceremonial one.
The post had been vacant for a long time. She takes it up as Lumbini balances heritage conservation, religious tourism and infrastructure development, all at a site that matters to Buddhists around the world.
Who is Ani Choying Drolma?
Drolma was born in Kathmandu in 1970 and entered Nagi Monastery in Shivapuri at 13. She studied Buddhist mantras and religious music under the teacher Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. She later became known as the “singing nun” for presenting traditional Buddhist chants with contemporary arrangements, which brought them to listeners well beyond Nepal and the Himalayan region.
Her work goes beyond music. She has been involved in education, healthcare and humanitarian efforts that support Buddhist nuns, children, women and people hit by illness or disaster. She set up the Nuns Welfare Foundation and the Arya Tara School for the education and health of Buddhist nuns. She also founded the Arogya Foundation, in memory of her mother, to support people with kidney disease. Her autobiography, Singing for Freedom, has been translated into several languages.
What the Trust does
The government established the Lumbini Development Trust in 1985 to conserve, develop and promote Lumbini. UNESCO inscribed the site on its World Heritage List in 1997. The Trust’s work reaches beyond the central Lumbini garden. It covers other historic Buddhist sites, including Tilaurakot, Devdaha and Ramagrama. It is also responsible for carrying out the Lumbini master plan drawn up in 1978. That means protecting archaeological and religious heritage while improving facilities for visitors and building Lumbini’s standing as a pilgrimage and cultural destination.
