Shesrig – Living Conservation Movement of Ladakh

In the heart of Leh’s Old Town, tucked among weathered mud-brick homes and winding alleys, the homegrown Ladakh heritage organization Shesrig Ladakh has become a center for preservation of the region’s most ancient art. Founded in 2017 by art conservator (and national-level ice hockey player) Noor Jahan, this independent conservation studio is more than a workplace—it is a movement to preserve Ladakh’s cultural monuments amid the pressures of modernization and climate change – in a powerful fusion of academic training, grassroots engagement, and spiritual sensitivity.

Shesrig’s conservation studio in Leh, Ladakh. Shesrig via Instagram.

Jahan, who holds a PhD in Art Conservation, began her career working on conservation projects across India. Her deep-seated connection to her homeland ultimately drew her back to Ladakh. As she explained to writer Antaraa Chatterjee, “We saw Ladakh changing rapidly. Tourism, infrastructure, climate shifts. If we didn’t act, we risked losing more than monuments. We’d lose memory.”

Jahan leased a crumbling heritage home in Leh and transformed it into a conservation studio with support from the German Embassy and Achi Association India. Today, Shesrig Ladakh is a women-led conservation initiative focused on restoring thangkas, wall paintings, manuscripts, clay sculptures, and polychrome wood, including projects extending into Mustang, Nepal.

But Shesrig is more than a technical lab. The team welcomes locals to demonstrations of conservation processes, training local youth, and inviting monks and elders to participate in decision-making. Before any intervention, the team consults with community stakeholders—monks, nuns, villagers, and local artisans. They ask not just what should be preserved, but how, and for whom.

Heritage in the Wild

Conservation in Ladakh is rarely easy. Shesrig Ladakh’s work takes them deep into the Himalayan interior, navigating harsh terrain, primitive infrastructure, and even the occasional wild animal. In a major project in June 2020, the team climbed tortuous paths through the mountains to the remote 14th-century Chomo Phu temple in the Nubra Valley. “We had to camp in the gorge,” said Jahan. “Food and supplies were carried in by monks. One morning, we found all our rations gone—stolen by wildlife.” They were plagued by generator breakdowns and the physical toll of working at high altitudes

Shesrig founder Noor Jahan (r), conservator Motup Yangchan and conservation trainee Sonam Dolma at Chomo Phu. Screenshot from Chomo Phu Temple Restoration Nubra, Heritage Himalaya, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OyXikM9Y5w.

At Chomo Phu the work was aimed at prolonging the life of the 14^th-century paintings. In a dramatic video (view at Heritage Himalaya) of the Chomo Phu project, Jahan noted that, “these paintings are the oldest surviving paintings in Nubra valley.” She explains, “the first thing that we did before the interventions was the documentation work on site. We mapped all the damages that we could see in the paintings manually on site. we started off with removing the old fillings that were done quite inexpertly, after which we cleaned some areas. We actually did not use any wet cleaning methods we only did dry cleaning methods using soft brushes and swab sticks. a lot of paintings were flaking so we had to do some consolidation work. We prepared injection grouts on site four different types of grout and did some tests before applying it in the paintings.” All this work was done under extremely difficult conditions.

Jahan gave particular thanks to the monks and the authorities of Disket monastery who worked to support them throughout this project, as well as to Dr. Sonam Wangchuk and the Himalayan Cultural Foundation, the organizer and sponsor, and India’s Ministry of Culture. She noted the importance of local volunteers and conservators, like carpenter/mason Tsewang Phuntsog. “For the first time I think in the history of conservation in Ladakh we had an entire local team from the film crew to the art conservators to the local masons – everyone was Ladakhi. We had a great time working there – the feeling of being able to conserve one of the oldest surviving paintings of Nubra valley was a great take away from this project.”

Before and after images of conserved painting. Shesrig conservation studio, via Instagram.

Shesrig is also emerging as an educational hub. The studio has launched conservation fellowships and hosted interns from institutions like the Indian Institute of Heritage. A recent workshop led by renowned conservator Dr. Sreekumar Menon trained young professionals in condition assessment, photo documentation, and the reconstruction of lost fragments—like a clay stucco section at Sani Monastery, pieces of which were thought to have been taken by devotees for blessings. Jahan explained that they didn’t plan to reconstruct, but that stakeholders found the void disturbing. We learned how emotional and spiritual needs often guide technical choices.”

The same determination that led Jahan to become one of India’s trailblazing female athletes guides her conservation work. As a Muslim woman working in predominantly Buddhist sacred spaces, Jahan brings a perspective both inclusive and radical. “Heritage belongs to all of us,” she told writer Antaraa Chatterjee. “I don’t approach it through a religious lens—only through the lens of respect.”

She is inspired by the work of leading restorers in India. The site at Sani Monastery, where Dr. Menon worked, has revealed pigments like azurite, vermilion, orpiment, and red lead—all hallmarks of early Himalayan technique. Goals of utilizing traditional materials also infuse Shesrig’s work.

Conserving wall painting, Screenshot from Chomo Phu Temple Restoration Nubra, Heritage Himalaya, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OyXikM9Y5w.

Shesrig’s work sits within a broader, growing movement to protect Ladakh’s endangered heritage. At the Sumda Chun temple complex where Dr. Menon worked, —home to 12th–13th century Buddhist wall paintings and mud sculptures—a separate conservation initiative has uncovered ancient techniques: wooden armatures, gypsum grounds, mineral pigments, and gold highlights. Such studies not only deepen knowledge of Himalayan art history but reinforce the need for localized conservation practices rooted in indigenous knowledge.

Jahan’s long-term vision is bold. She hopes to establish a permanent conservation center in Ladakh, complete with labs, documentation units, and academic partnerships. “We need trained conservators who understand this culture,” she says. “And we need communities to see heritage not as relics of the past, but as living parts of their identity.”

Conservation team, Noor Jahan (l), Chomo Phu Temple Restoration Nubra, Heritage Himalaya, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OyXikM9Y5w.

She also dreams of seeing conservation studies integrated into Ladakh University. “Education is key,” she says. “Because in the end, we are all custodians.”

Noor Jahan and her colleagues, trainees, and volunteers exemplify the best in on-site conservation today, combining a thirst for knowledge, dedication to preservation, and a fierce determination to meet the challenge of bringing the past back to life.

Shesrig – Living Conservation Movement of Ladakh

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