The monks waited paitently in the hot sun.

Tshering's digital camera was a source of considerable interest.

This is Old House 12. Its roof now sports new solar panels.

The second storey is fast taking shape.

The programme covers 250 monks who belong to one of a dozen houses. These houses are headed by a small group of geshes who are all from the same area of Eastern Tibet and who were in the same class at Sera Je in Lhasa. They made the journey into exile in India together in 1959, lived at Buxor refuge camp and were among the first monks to re-establish Sera Je in Karnataka, in southern India. Each has made considerable contributions to the monastery in his own way.

Geshe Tashi Tsering and Geshe Lozang Dorje together head up House 12. New monks continue to flood into Sera Je, creating a pressing need for accommodation. Despite all the building work, there is still not nearly enough room for all the monks associated with House 12; the remainder live in rooms above the Tehor Khangtzen assembly hall.

Sönam was there the day that 150 House 12 monks gathered in order that Tshering and Tsewang could check their details.

"I was taking a lot of candid photos of the monks together, as they waited their turn to talk to Tsewang and have their photo taken," she recalls. "I was struck by the relaxed and friendly way the monks behaved with each other. Over time I came to realise that the way the monastery is organised means that the monks grow up and live with people whose families come from the same area. Because of the complexity of the Tibetan kinship system, that means they are mostly related in some way. Some are brothers, most are cousins (although not necessarily in the sense that Westerners use that term). Many have uncles or nephews in the monastery: for instance, three of Geshe-la's sister's sons belong to House 12.

"I was very moved in particular by the way the young boys were treated — the little monks or those waiting to become ordained. Everywhere they went, the older monks would talk to them and cuddle them. There was so much love evident. This, along with the extraordinary Tibetan generosity and hospitality that was extended to us, have made a lasting impression on me."

Building work progressing well
Geshe-la was able to fund construction of more accommodation in 1994. Now known as "Old House 12" it is a long single-storey dwelling with a very basic kitchen and nine rooms, home to 15 monks. Across a small courtyard, the first part of "New House 12" has been built, an L-shaped building with a small suite for Geshe-la, an assembly hall, and two more bedrooms. Now a second storey is being added.

Much progress has been made since Geshe-la last visited in 2004. All the internal cement block and brick walls are in place. Building materials are stacked and piled around the courtyard between the two houses. The second floor will house another five or six monks and will ease crowding, at least for a time. It will also house an adequate kitchen.

Progress is slowed by the intermittent supply of power. Artisan water is pumped to a water tank on the second storey, but when there is no electricity, water must be hauled by hand from the pump up the staircase to the building site and water tank.

The newest rooms in House 12 have emergency solar-powered lights, thanks to the generosity of several of Geshe-la's students in Australia. This technology makes a lot of sense, given the expense of electricity and the lack of regular supply but the initial investment is high. However, another benefactor recently sponsored the installation of solar panels on the roof of Old House 12. This provides solar lights to all the monks, and hot water to Geshe Lozang Dorje's tiny bathroom. As the second storey is built, solar panels will be installed, to power lighting to the new rooms and hot water to the new kitchen. This cost 180,000 rupees, completely outside the scope of the existing building project.