KATHMANDU: The Drukpa Kung Fu Nuns at Druk Amitabha Mountain are all set to host the 11th Drukpa Council in Kathmandu.

According to the organisers, the council will take place over five days starting November 13 at Druk Amitabha Mountain (White Gumba).

The council celebrates the Drukpa Kung Fu Nuns and their extraordinary journey of practice through service, said the organisers.

Climate change is increasingly threatening the very existence of mountain communities. Recent devastating floods in Nepal have brought renewed attention to the growing risks facing communities across the Himalayas.

“This mounting concern will take centre stage at the 11th Annual Drukpa Council. Over five days, Drukpa Masters, students and participants from around the world will reflect on the escalating climate crisis and explore how the Drukpa Lineage and its global community can contribute meaningfully to climate solutions.”

The Kung Fu Nuns’ inspiring work, the communities they have served, and the lives they have touched over decades offer a people-centred story about how spiritual values can inspire community service and care for the environment.

Their remarkable martial arts skills may capture attention, but their true strength lies in how they put their spiritual practice into action. From advancing environmental conservation and gender equality to disaster relief and community empowerment, the Kung Fu Nuns uplift the lives of many across the Himalayas in countless ways. They help families rebuild their lives after disasters, organise blood donation drives, and undertake Pad Yatras and bicycle Yatras to advocate climate action and spread messages of peace, compassion, equality and non-harm.

Deeply rooted in the Himalayas, the Drukpa community sees the Himalayas as more than mountains or landscapes. They are home to Drukpa monasteries, communities and generations of spiritual practice. As climate-related disasters threaten people, places and livelihoods, protecting the Himalayas becomes a shared responsibility.

The council offers a moment to reflect on how the Drukpa community can strengthen its role as custodians of the Himalayas and on how compassion can become a force for change that benefits communities across the region and beyond.

“The Annual Drukpa Council puts a pressing question at the heart of its climate discussions: How can Buddhist wisdom and climate science inspire collective action to protect the Himalayas?” the organisers added.

The gathering also connects the experiences of flood-affected communities with discussions on climate action and the Drukpa Kung Fu Nuns’ work in environmental conservation, disaster relief and community empowerment. Beyond their martial arts, the nuns offer a people-centred story of compassion in action and of how spiritual values can inspire care for communities and the environment.

The Annual Drukpa Council is a gathering of Drukpa Masters, students and followers from around the world. Founded by the Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the Drukpa Lineage, in 2009, the ADC serves as a platform to bring the Drukpa Sangha together and inspire global unity and compassion.

An active environmentalist, the Gyalwang Drukpa also founded Live to Love, an international humanitarian non-profit working in areas including environmental conservation, community empowerment, gender equality and animal care.

The Gyalwang Drukpa has received numerous international recognitions for his work, including the UN Millennium Development Goals Award, the Aurora Modern Day Hero Award and the Green Hero Award.

The Drukpa Lineage was founded by Drogon Tsangpa Gyare (1161–1211), who manifested as the outstanding disciple of Mahasiddha Lingchen Repa. Known as an embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Great Compassion, Drogon Tsangpa Gyare had earlier come into this world as the famed Indian Mahasiddha Naropa (1016–1100). Because of his spiritual attainments, Drogon Tsangpa Gyare came to be popularly known as Druk Thamchay Khyenpa, the Omniscient Dragon, and was known as the first Gyalwang Drukpa. Motivated by the aim to end suffering and attain individual and collective happiness, peace and harmony, the Drukpa Lineage continues to inspire people to integrate spirituality into daily life.