Buddhist monks cloaked in saffron robes,
blow horns to call other monks for prayers in the
Thiksey monastery near Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Nestled high in the
Himalayas with its crystal-clear air and brilliant azure skies, the isolated
area of Ladakh first opened to tourists in 1974 and is the home to one of the
last surviving authentic Tibetan Buddhist cultures. Leh is situated at a
height of 3505 meters and once was part of the silk route of central Asia.
Traders from exotic and far-flung lands have long spoken of the beauties of
these lands.
