Mustang school hostel uses steam technology to cook meals

By Hari krishna Sharma,Muktinath (Mustang), Mar. 28: Nalanda Buddhist School, located in Tukuche Jhilingh of Thasang Rural Municipality-1 in Mustang, has not used gas cylinders for cooking for the past seven years.

Dishes are cooked in the school kitchen without using cooking gas.

Awan Tulachan, headmaster of the school, said that 240 students and teachers living in the school's hostel enjoy meals cooked using steam technology.

“We do not need gas. The school is the first in Gandaki Province and the second in Nepal to use steam technology regularly," he said.

There is no shortage of firewood in Mustang district; firewood is purchased and stored for use. More than one million pieces of firewood are consumed annually. Using steam technology, hot water, tea, and snacks are prepared.

Steam technology is cheaper, faster, and more effective than cooking gas and electrical appliances. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare food for everyone. The technology has the capacity to cook for more than 600 people using five vessels at a time. It was introduced here after proving effective in a Buddhist school in India.

A 60-litre iron vessel is installed on top of the fire furnace. Through an iron pipeline, the steam generated by heating water in a large vessel is used to cook food in another room.

The school's hostel has been run by the Padmasambhava Charity Foundation since 2010. Currently, 240 students are studying from grades 1 to 10 with free residential facilities.

A total of 14 students from the school appeared in SEE examination this year.

Students from poor financial backgrounds from different districts of Nepal as well as India, are studying Lama Education at the school. Apart from students with a Lama background, students from various communities, including Brahmin, Chhetri, Chepang, and Dalit, are also enrolled.

In addition to the formal curriculum implemented by the government, Buddhist education is also provided through Nepali, English, and Tibetan textbooks. 

In the last two years, schools in Mustang district have achieved excellent results in the SEE examination.

The government provides a small budget, while most of the funds are collected through charity programmes related to Buddhist education in India, Taiwan, and other countries. The school is also considered excellent in terms of its physical infrastructure.