The foundation of the temple in Sumda Chung is related to Rin-chen-zhang-po and should be dated to the 11th Century.
Built on the altitude of 3500m the architectural history of the temple has been dominated by the topography of the site.
Sumda Chung, as we can see it today, consists of a main room with an apse, an over-roofed veranda and two side niches, which are to be accessed from the veranda and have been attached to the main cella in a later period.
The shape of the temple is charactericed by an unusual roof-construction above the apse. There the trefoliated latern is covered by another flat roof-latern, which adds a particular element to the shape.
The site is on a slope and the entrance faces Southeast towards the valley. The cella with the apse, which today is the remaining part of the original structure, is built on solid rock, whereas the veranda and parts of the niches have foundations of stone masonry.
These stone terraces have obviously been sliding away a several times in the past, most probably as a consequence of rain waters coming down the mountain and causing the breakaway of the veranda and also parts of the niches at least two times.
Remains of older constructions can be traced by analysing the wooden beam structure of the roof of the veranda and the niches.

Text: Christian Luczanits
Fotos: Holger Neuwirth / Christian Luczanits