Monasteries and valleys
It still dims, when the first mantras sound in the Thiksey monastery. The prayer of the monks buzzes heavily and monotonously through the Indus valley. They break the silence that normally prevails in this area. High in the mountains, on the edge of the Himalayas and on the border with Tibet lies the most remote region of India. Everything here is different. Even the sky. The 5,360-metre-high Chang La Pass, one of the highest mountain passes in the world, will close in November: impassable due to snow and ice. Viciously, the wind swirls over Pangong Lake and sharply cuts through the Nubra valley that is thousands of meters high. Surrounded by immense peaks, this deep valley is in full bloom in June.
Nature has this area in its grip, as can be seen on the weathered faces of those who live permanently in this region. In the small villages, or in one of the many monasteries. Like the lavishly decorated Hemis monastery. Every year in June, monks organize a large religious festival. Also in the Lamayuru monastery from the eleventh century there are regular festivities. The complex, taped tightly along the side of the road against a mountainside, is well worth a stop. Besides monks, many Tibetans live here. Over the years they sought a safe haven, their culture and traditional crafts they took with them. Their religion also blows through this area: the rattle of rotating prayer mills is a familiar sound here.