Seconded By: Jean Pierre Rieu,
Shattering conventions through a mix of martial arts, meditation, and environmental activism: The Kung Fu Nuns are part of an 800-year-old Buddhist sect named Drukpa, the Tibetan word for dragon. Besides practicing Kung Fu and meditation, Drukpa nuns teach young females from the Himalayan region self-defence in workshops, lead prayers, and journey by bicycle for thousands of kilometres through the Himalayas on their annual Cycle Yatra, to promote environmental awareness and gender equality across the region. The Drukpa lineage is the only Buddhist order in which nuns have the same rights as monks. The name Jigmet, that all sisters carry as a part of their name, means fearless.
Jigmet Rupa Lhamo
Jigmet Rupa Lhamo, 26, pictured during Kung Fu training at the Druk Amitabha monastery in Kathmandu, NEPAL, March 27, 2019. “Kung Fu makes me confident, I’m not afraid to go out by myself anymore. Girls are not allowed to go out by themselves, but they want to do many things. They get inspired by us.”
Puja
Nuns of the Buddhist dragon order hold an early morning “Puja” (prayer chanting) with devotees from all over the Himalayas, as well as international guests, during the annual Drukpa Council inside the main temple of the Druk Amitabha mountain nunnery in Kathmandu, NEPAL, December 28, 2024.
Split
Jigmet Rupa Lhamo (above), 26, and Jigmet Dechen Tsogyal, 8, pictured during Kung Fu training at Druk Amitabha Mountain nunnery in Kathmandu, NEPAL, April 8, 2019. Recounting how she became a nun, Jigmet Rupa Lhamo said “I was the only daughter, my mom was not ready, but now she is happy and proud.”
Kung Fu Training
Buddhist Drukpa Nuns practice Kung Fu at the Druk Amitabha nunnery in Kathmandu, NEPAL, March 23, 2023. The Kung Fu Nuns are part of an 800-year-old Buddhist sect named Drukpa (the Tibetan word for dragon), the only Buddhist order in which nuns have the same rights as monks.
Cycle Yatra Nepal
The Kung Fu Nuns push their bicycles in the morning during their cycle yatra in Mustang, Gandaki province NEPAL, March 19, 2023. Besides practicing Kung Fu and meditation, Drukpa nuns journey by bicycle for thousands of kilometres through the Himalayas on their annual Cycle Yatra, to promote environmental awareness and gender equality across the region.
Cycle Yatra Denmark
Jigmet Konchok Lhamo, 31, and other Kung Fu Nuns take a selfie on their way to Copenhagen, during their first Cycle Yatra in Europe, traveling from Germany to Denmark by bicycle to promote environmental awareness. Copenhagen, DENMARK, June 6, 2024.
Dragon Dance
The Kung Fu Nuns practice the Dragon Dance before getting on stage to perform in the evening during the annual Drukpa Council at the Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery in Kathmandu, NEPAL, December 29, 2024.
Nuns at the Danish Parliament
The Kung Fu Nuns and their spiritual leader, His Holiness, the Gyalwang Drukpa, listen to Ida Auken, 46, Danish politician and member of the Danish parliament, inside a room of the parliament in Copenhagen, DENMARK, June 6, 2024. During their first European Cycle Yatra, the nuns travel from Germany to Denmark, meeting with political key figures to discuss gender equality and promote climate awareness.
Nun in the Mirror
Jigmet Maha Dakini, 21, shops for personal items and gifts for friends and family at the market around Buddha statue in Kathmandu, NEPAL, January 03, 2025. Once per month, the nuns are allowed to leave the nunnery and purchase personal items. Jigmet Maha Dakini became a nun in 2019, after participating in a self-defence workshop of the Kung Fu Nuns in Ladakh, India the same year.
Puja in Tent
Jigmet Tsering Josdol (left), 21, Jigmet Kunzang Lhamo (middle), 22, and Jigmet Maha Dakini (right), 21, chant during the evening puja (prayer chanting) inside their tent at the nun’s campsite for that night during the cycle yatra. Tipliyang, Mustang, Gandaki, NEPAL, March 19, 2023.