Drokpa lady
The Drokpa descend from the Dards, an Aryan tribe that moved into western Ladakh from the Hindukush mountains (Pakistan) centuries ago. The Brokpa broke away from the Islamic faith, and converting to Buddhism - but a wilder form of Buddhism that carried animistic beliefs from the early Bon religion. Offerings of sacrificial goats and sheep to appease their gods and demons are still commonly practised.
© Kieron Nelson 2009 "Vanishing Cultures Photography" All rights reserved