Making a Goldplated Victory Stupa
By Maria Gammeltoft
Meeting with Drubthob Rinpoche in Nepal
In 2006 at the time of the Tibetan New Year, my sister Kirsten Tarab Losang and myself, went to Nepal to order a Stupa for the ashes of the late Tarab Rinpoche. When Rinpoche passed away his ashes were divided into 3 urns, one should be sent to Tibet, the second should be at the Tarab Ling site in India, and the third should remain at his home in Hörsholm. We received advice from Drubthob Rinpoche who lives in Kathmandu and knew Tarab Rinpoche.
Drubthob Rinpoche gave a very exact explanation on the importance of making the Stupa correctly, and out of the 8 different variations of Stupas he recommended the Namgyalma Stupa when hearing that Tarab Rinpoche had a specific wish for that particular model when he was alive. Drubthob Rinpoche talked about the importance of having the right attitude and devotion and doing one’s utmost to make the Stupa and the whole process of filling up the Stupa with relics in the correct manner.
Meeting Ven. Drubthob Rinpoche - Kathmandu 26 Feb. 2006 
Geshe Chögyal making preparations for the stupa
Tarab Institute, Denmark invites
Geshe Lobsang Chögyal to Denmark
Therefore, the Tarab Institute, Denmark, decided to invite the old Söpön (servant) of Tarab Rinpoche called Geshe Lobsang Chögyal to perform the ceremony of filling the stupa and making all the appropriate rituals. As Geshe Chögyal is 70 years old and only speaks Tibetan, a Mexican monk Lobsang Dawa accompanied him. They were extremely fortunate to get visas for Denmark very quickly and they arrived on August the 4th 2006. Immediately they began the preparations that were far more extensive than we had ever imagined and on top of this they kindly offered to fill up the big Stupa in the garden.
The Preparation of the Ashes
One of the first evenings after their arrival the urn was opened and the ashes were exposed different rituals amongst which was a special purification puja. Some of the ashes were mixed with clay, some mixed with plaster and cast in special TsaTsa moulds. Some TsaTsa forms were made of Tsatsas from Tarab Rinpoche's belongings by using special silicone and others from metal TsaTsa moulds. There was a fabrication of moulds representing the deities Yamantaka, Chenrezig, Tara, Namgyalma, Tsongkhapa and a lot of small Stupas. After drying out they were painted with gold, and the Tsatsas that should be placed inside the Stupa in the garden were carefully put in big jars of glass and all facing in the right direction.
Besides the more than 1000 TsaTsas mixed with the ashes of Rinpoche, Geshe Chögyal had brought lots of prayers and Mantras in small rolls of coloured cloth and special herbs all placed properly. Prayer books from Rinpoche's belongings and his old monk robes were also placed in the Stupa in the garden.
One important part of the project was making the "life tree" which should be centred in the Stupas. It should be heartwood and most important it should be turning upright - not upside down. It had to be carved to get the right shape and afterwards it was painted red, and on top there was written seed syllables and Mantras and coloured ribbon was twisted. Besides all of this the Stupas were filled with small statues, paintings of auspicious signs, incense, precious metals, pearls and stones, and in the Stupa in the garden also dried lavender was placed, as it was one of Rinpoche's favourite scents.
Consecrating of the Stupa in the garden
Consecrating the Stupas
On the full moon day of September the 7th 2006 the Stupas were consecrated by a ceremonial puja where more than 70 of Rinpoches pupils in Europe had gathered in and around the small meditation room, where the new Stupa is standing. The ceremony was a very strong and emotional and after the puja we all went to the Stupa in the garden and offered khatak and rice.
Geshe Lobsang Chögyal has already started to prepare Tarab Rinpoche's relics for the indoor as well as the outdoor stupas for Tarab Ling in Dehradun, India.
From the side of the Tarab Institute, DK we should like to use this occasion to thank the many students of Tarab Rinpoche who has supported the stupas in Denmark as well as the indoor stupa for Tarab Ling, Dehradun.
We should also like to express out sincere gratitude to Geshe Lobsang Chögyal and Lobsang Dawa for their great effort and dedication.
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The golden Stupa
Geshe Chögyal
The golden Stupa
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