a nomad walks back to his nomadic settlement  with a herd of over 200 sheep and goats which belong to his family.
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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA.
Tashi Namgyal (30), walks back to the nomadic settlement of Yagang with a herd of over 200 sheep and goats which belong to his family. Behind comes another shepherd bringing the animals of another family. Kharnak nomads -some very elderly- walk over 30 km every day, looking for the best pastures for their animals. Yagang is situated at over 4500 m.a.s.l.. and is one of the 6 settlements where nomads rotate during the year with their animals. It's also one out of two in which they have build permanent houses and where there is a monastery and nunnery. In all the other settlements they will pitch their tents for the time they stay there.

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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA.
Tashi Namgyal (30), walks back to the nomadic settlement of Yagang with a herd of over 200 sheep and goats which belong to his family. Behind comes another shepherd bringing the animals of another family. Kharnak nomads -some very elderly- walk over 30 km every day, looking for the best pastures for their animals. Yagang is situated at over 4500 m.a.s.l.. and is one of the 6 settlements where nomads rotate during the year with their animals. It's also one out of two in which they have build permanent houses and where there is a monastery and nunnery. In all the other settlements they will pitch their tents for the time they stay there.

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Kharnak Nomads Crossroads


Link to NYTimes publication


In the isolated high plains of Ladakh, in India’s Himalayas, there used to be a community of 120 Kharnak Nomadic families that worked in the Pashmina and sheep wool business for centuries. The incredibly harsh climate conditions and the lack of basic services like health and education, lead most of the families to leave their native place and move to the city, a process that has been taking place for the past 20 years. Today there are only 16 families living in Kharnak -most of them seniors-, taking care of approximately 7000 sheep and goats and 300 yaks, an incredibly challenging task.


At this point, almost all families of this community have settled together in Kharnakling, a suburb close to Leh -Ladakh’s capital-, which is about 200 kms from their homeland.

During the winter, most of the people who still work in Kharnak will move to the city, to their second home, leaving their livestock in the hands of paid shepherds in the highlands.


The younger generation, next in line to take over the work with the livestock, migrated to the cities long ago to receive formal education in boarding schools. This was naturally a very tough and painful decision to make for the parents, who wouldn’t be able to see their children growing up in hope to enable them for a better future.


The incredibly rich knowledge of their pastoralist way of life, which has been passed from elderly to young over hundreds of years, will be lost with this generational gap. Most likely this will result in the disappearance of the nomadic practices and its wool trade, something that both young and old are well conscious of and concerned about.


Although these young people practically never experienced the harsh life in Kharnak, they are aware about the importance of keeping their rich traditions, culture, trade and most importantly their identity alive, and the upcoming challenges that come along to do so.

On top of all this, Ladakh faces a new political scenario. In 2019 it became a Union Territory of India, a situation that will surely bring along new opportunities, but also a lot of uncertainties to them.

a Kharnak nomad lady stops shortly for a quick portrait in the Nomadic settlement of Zara. Behind her there are 3 yaks.
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In a busy afternoon, a Kharnak nomad lady stops shortly for a quick portrait in the Nomadic settlement of Zara. In the afternoon the members of each family are busy gathering their animals from their daly grazing. After their long walk on the pastures, sometimes as long as 25 kms., the animals are taken back home to be milked and some of them sheared. Nomadic life in this part of India is increasingly disappearing since there is a generational gap of young children who is not learning nomadic traditions, but moving to urban areas and get modern education. Zara nomadic settlement, Ladakh, India.

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In a busy afternoon, a Kharnak nomad lady stops shortly for a quick portrait in the Nomadic settlement of Zara. In the afternoon the members of each family are busy gathering their animals from their daly grazing. After their long walk on the pastures, sometimes as long as 25 kms., the animals are taken back home to be milked and some of them sheared. Nomadic life in this part of India is increasingly disappearing since there is a generational gap of young children who is not learning nomadic traditions, but moving to urban areas and get modern education. Zara nomadic settlement, Ladakh, India.

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A herd of Yak cross a river towards Zara nomadic settlement. The Kharnak nomads have been herding their animals since early morning, and will bring them back where the tents are set up. Ladakh, India.
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A herd of Yak cross a river towards Zara nomadic settlement. The Kharnak nomads have been herding their animals since early morning, and will bring them back where the tents are set up. Then the owners will recognize their own and take them next to their tents. Ladakh, India. 

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A herd of Yak cross a river towards Zara nomadic settlement. The Kharnak nomads have been herding their animals since early morning, and will bring them back where the tents are set up. Then the owners will recognize their own and take them next to their tents. Ladakh, India. 

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Stanzin Kunfell takes part of the traditional horse festival which happens after a buddhist ceremony, where the community prays for nine consecutive days. Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA
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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA. 
Stanzin Kunfell (29) takes part of the traditional horse festival which happens as part of "Mani", a buddhist ceremony where the community prays for nine consecutive days. Although he lives in Kharnakling - a town 175 kilometers from this nomadic settlement-, together with other young nomads, he came specifically to take part of the horse festival. 
Horses used to be central to the life of Kharnak nomads, who used them for transport purposes, but today they have been replaced by pickup trucks. They still own them and most of the times are left to roam free in the mountains around, which has made them wild again and hard to tame for this kind of activities.

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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA. 
Stanzin Kunfell (29) takes part of the traditional horse festival which happens as part of "Mani", a buddhist ceremony where the community prays for nine consecutive days. Although he lives in Kharnakling - a town 175 kilometers from this nomadic settlement-, together with other young nomads, he came specifically to take part of the horse festival. 
Horses used to be central to the life of Kharnak nomads, who used them for transport purposes, but today they have been replaced by pickup trucks. They still own them and most of the times are left to roam free in the mountains around, which has made them wild again and hard to tame for this kind of activities.

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Tserong Stobdan prays during  a traditional buddhist ceremony at Lato, one of the most sacred buddhist places for the Kharnak nomads.
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Tserong Stobdan (60) prays alone during Lapa, a traditional buddhist ceremony at Lato, one of the most sacred buddhist places for the Kharnak nomads.

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Tserong Stobdan (60) prays alone during Lapa, a traditional buddhist ceremony at Lato, one of the most sacred buddhist places for the Kharnak nomads.

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Tsering Stobdan throws a stone to the air with his yak wool hand made sling as he controls the community's herd of Yak in the nomadic settlement of Yagang. Ladakh, INDIA
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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA - October 12, 2019.
Tsering Stobdan (60) throws a stone to the air with his yak wool hand made sling as he controls the community's herd of Yak in the nomadic settlement of Yagang. Like other nomads of his generation, Tsering Stobdan is extremely knowledgable of all related nomadic practices and wisdom, like which specific type of grass and plants are good for the animals to feed on, how to handle the herds, how to preserve meat and build shelters with very few materials, to name a few. This expertise has been transferred from generation to generation over hundreds of years. He stays in this region most part of the year, and goes to Kharnakling (close to Ladakh's capital, Leh) during the harsh winter to a house he built years ago along with other Kharnak families who built their second homes in the same place. During this time, they have to hire a shepherd who will take care of the animals in Kharnak, which results very costly, but is the only alternative when there is no family members willing to take the task.

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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA - October 12, 2019.
Tsering Stobdan (60) throws a stone to the air with his yak wool hand made sling as he controls the community's herd of Yak in the nomadic settlement of Yagang. Like other nomads of his generation, Tsering Stobdan is extremely knowledgable of all related nomadic practices and wisdom, like which specific type of grass and plants are good for the animals to feed on, how to handle the herds, how to preserve meat and build shelters with very few materials, to name a few. This expertise has been transferred from generation to generation over hundreds of years. He stays in this region most part of the year, and goes to Kharnakling (close to Ladakh's capital, Leh) during the harsh winter to a house he built years ago along with other Kharnak families who built their second homes in the same place. During this time, they have to hire a shepherd who will take care of the animals in Kharnak, which results very costly, but is the only alternative when there is no family members willing to take the task.

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A Kharnak Nomad takes part of the traditional horse festival which happens after a buddhist ceremony, where the community prays for nine consecutive days. Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA
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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA. 
Yangjor serves chhang (local beer) to Rinchen (19) after he successfully hit the target with a stone while riding his horse. There is no winers or losers in this competition, rather the riders will get a shot of chhang and a Khata (a traditional Tibetan ceremonial scarf) for every hit on the target.

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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA. 
Yangjor serves chhang (local beer) to Rinchen (19) after he successfully hit the target with a stone while riding his horse. There is no winers or losers in this competition, rather the riders will get a shot of chhang and a Khata (a traditional Tibetan ceremonial scarf) for every hit on the target.

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Empty site at the summer nomadic settlement of Zara, where Kharnak nomads will pitch their tents. Ladakh, India.
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Empty site at the summer nomadic settlement of Zara. Sites like this is where Kharnak nomads will pitch their tents. All of them share the same structure, were the fire place will be set in the middle and on the pedestal made of stones in the back they will put candles an Buddhist objects. Surrounding them there's the corrals where sheep and goat sleep at night. Ladakh, India

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Empty site at the summer nomadic settlement of Zara. Sites like this is where Kharnak nomads will pitch their tents. All of them share the same structure, were the fire place will be set in the middle and on the pedestal made of stones in the back they will put candles an Buddhist objects. Surrounding them there's the corrals where sheep and goat sleep at night. Ladakh, India

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A Kharnak nomad woman looks at her livestock in the settlement of Zara.  Ladakh, India
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A Kharnak woman looks at her livestock in the settlement of Zara. The sun is harsh at over 4.500 meters in the high plains of Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak woman looks at her livestock in the settlement of Zara. The sun is harsh at over 4.500 meters in the high plains of Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak woman leads the heard of sheep and goat in the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.
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A Kharnak nomad woman leads the heard of sheep and goat. She will take them grazing for about 20 km around the Nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak nomad woman leads the heard of sheep and goat. She will take them grazing for about 20 km around the Nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.

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Tsering Yourkit (20) milks the goats at her families corral in Yagang at 4.500 meters above the sea level. Ladakh, India.
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Tsering Yourkit (20) milks the goats at her families corral in Yagang at 4.500 meters above the sea level.
She lives in Kharnakling, a town 200 km away close to Ladaks's capital Leh, but occasionally comes to help her mother and brother out who spend most of the time in the nomadic settlements. Although she grew up in the city, she learned about nomadic practices but is not something she sees doing for the rest of her life. She gets bored very easily when she is not close to her friends, or doesn't have access to the internet, and is very hard for her to cope with extreme winter conditions, when the temperatures in this area of Ladakh can drop to -40ºC.

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Tsering Yourkit (20) milks the goats at her families corral in Yagang at 4.500 meters above the sea level.
She lives in Kharnakling, a town 200 km away close to Ladaks's capital Leh, but occasionally comes to help her mother and brother out who spend most of the time in the nomadic settlements. Although she grew up in the city, she learned about nomadic practices but is not something she sees doing for the rest of her life. She gets bored very easily when she is not close to her friends, or doesn't have access to the internet, and is very hard for her to cope with extreme winter conditions, when the temperatures in this area of Ladakh can drop to -40ºC.

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A Kharnak nomad and one of his 400 sheep at the Nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.
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A Kharnak nomad and one of his 400 sheep at the Nomadic settlement of Zara. These nomads live out of the wool business. In this settlement, a total of 16 families live in close community, and work in a trade on its way to extinction very fast in this region. Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak nomad and one of his 400 sheep at the Nomadic settlement of Zara. These nomads live out of the wool business. In this settlement, a total of 16 families live in close community, and work in a trade on its way to extinction very fast in this region. Ladakh, India.

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A mother takes her son on her back as she counts the sheep and goats in their corral in Zara, their nomadic settlement after they arrived from a day of grazing in the high plains. Ladakh, India.
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A mother takes her son on her back as she counts the sheep and goats in their corral in Zara, their nomadic settlement after they arrived from a day of grazing in the high plains. Ladakh, India.

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A mother takes her son on her back as she counts the sheep and goats in their corral in Zara, their nomadic settlement after they arrived from a day of grazing in the high plains. Ladakh, India.

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A tent from a Kharnak family and the milky way in the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India, June 24, 2016.
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A tent from a Kharnak family and the milky way in the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.

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A tent from a Kharnak family and the milky way in the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.

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Four women carry stacks of wood to be burnt during Mani, a buddhist ceremony where the community prays and chants for nine consecutive days during the month of October.
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Four women carry stacks of wood to be burnt during Mani, a buddhist ceremony where the community prays and chants for nine consecutive days during the month of October. To collect the wood they had to walk 30 minutes up a up a hill at over 4.500 above the sea level, chop it, stack it and walk down the hill with a load weighing over 40 kgs each.

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Four women carry stacks of wood to be burnt during Mani, a buddhist ceremony where the community prays and chants for nine consecutive days during the month of October. To collect the wood they had to walk 30 minutes up a up a hill at over 4.500 above the sea level, chop it, stack it and walk down the hill with a load weighing over 40 kgs each.

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Diskist talks to her friend outside her tent in the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.
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Diskist talks to her friend outside her tent in the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India. 


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Diskist talks to her friend outside her tent in the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India. 


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A group of Kharnak villagers watches the horse festival in the nomadic settlement of Yagang, Ladakh, India.
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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA - October 15, 2019.
A group of Kharnak villagers watches the horse competition. Amongst them is the Lama of the village (Center), who has directed 9 days of preyers before this event took place.

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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA - October 15, 2019.
A group of Kharnak villagers watches the horse competition. Amongst them is the Lama of the village (Center), who has directed 9 days of preyers before this event took place.

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A Kharnak boy stares during a Tibetan Buddhist ceremony happening in a corral in Zara nomadic settlement. Ladakh, India.
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A Kharnak boy stares while Mani Pa ceremony (a Tibetan Buddhist ceremony) happens in a corral in Zara nomadic settlement. Kharnak nomads are fervent Buddhist. The community was asking for rain in this ceremony, on one of the driest years they had experienced. Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak boy stares while Mani Pa ceremony (a Tibetan Buddhist ceremony) happens in a corral in Zara nomadic settlement. Kharnak nomads are fervent Buddhist. The community was asking for rain in this ceremony, on one of the driest years they had experienced. Ladakh, India.

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A buddhist Shaman performs in the Mani Pa Ceremony, where villagers have asked for good fortune and specially for rain in a very dry season. Zara, Ladakh, India.
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A buddhist Shaman from Spiti Valley performs in the Mani Pa Ceremony, where villagers have asked for good fortune and specially for rain in a very dry season. Zara, Ladakh, India.


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A buddhist Shaman from Spiti Valley performs in the Mani Pa Ceremony, where villagers have asked for good fortune and specially for rain in a very dry season. Zara, Ladakh, India.


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A Khanak woman sits next to a solar panel in front of her house in Yagang, one of the nomadic settlements were nomads y spend part of the autumn. ​Ladakh, India.
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A Khanak woman sits next to a solar panel in front of her house in Yagang, one of the nomadic settlements were they spend part of the autumn. Ladakh, India. 

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A Khanak woman sits next to a solar panel in front of her house in Yagang, one of the nomadic settlements were they spend part of the autumn. Ladakh, India. 

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Rinchen holds the horse he has just tamed to participate in the horse festival of his native village. Ladakh, INDIA.
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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA - .
Rinchen (19) holds the horse he has just tamed to participate in the horse festival of his native village. This event happens as part of "Mani", which is 9 consecutive days of prayers in the remote village of Yagang, one of the 6 nomadic settlements used by the Kharnak Nomads.

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Yagang, Ladakh, INDIA - .
Rinchen (19) holds the horse he has just tamed to participate in the horse festival of his native village. This event happens as part of "Mani", which is 9 consecutive days of prayers in the remote village of Yagang, one of the 6 nomadic settlements used by the Kharnak Nomads.

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A view of Kharnakling, the settlement where almost all 120 families of Kharnak nomads have moved into in the course of the last 20 years. Ladakh, INDIA
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  • Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA .
A view of Kharnakling, the settlement where almost all 120 families of Kharnak nomads have moved into in the course of the last 20 years. Located in Choglamsar (a Tibetan settlement) it is 7 kms from the capital, Leh. Unlike the simple constructions nomads have in the Changtang region, these other houses resemble to traditional ladakhi houses. To build these homes, some had to sell their animals and land, leaving behind old traditional houses made of stone build generations back. Some decided not to sell their land back in Changtang claiming that "that is the the only thing they own and that roots them to their past".  Although they are away from their native land, most of these families keep their traditions and culture alive, gathering and celebrating events at town-halls and designated spaces for celebrations. Nowadays, the space is becoming scarce and expensive, so new families have chosen to move away from Kharnakling to a different village away from the community.
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  • Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA .
A view of Kharnakling, the settlement where almost all 120 families of Kharnak nomads have moved into in the course of the last 20 years. Located in Choglamsar (a Tibetan settlement) it is 7 kms from the capital, Leh. Unlike the simple constructions nomads have in the Changtang region, these other houses resemble to traditional ladakhi houses. To build these homes, some had to sell their animals and land, leaving behind old traditional houses made of stone build generations back. Some decided not to sell their land back in Changtang claiming that "that is the the only thing they own and that roots them to their past".  Although they are away from their native land, most of these families keep their traditions and culture alive, gathering and celebrating events at town-halls and designated spaces for celebrations. Nowadays, the space is becoming scarce and expensive, so new families have chosen to move away from Kharnakling to a different village away from the community.
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Dawa Tundup and Karma Tsiring stand inside their home in Karnakling. Ladakh, India.
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Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA -.
Dawa Tundup (83) and Karma Tsiring (24) stand inside their home in Karnakling. 25 years ago Dawa, Karma's grandfather, decided to move out of Kharnak, and out of their century traditional nomadic way of living, to live in the city where there was health and education facilities. He remembers the days in Kharnak with a lot of nostalgia, pointing out how different life was there. He dreams to go back to Kharnak and hopes that people would live there again if the government provides with the necessary infrastructure (mainly schools and hospitals) to make life a little easier for the nomadic people. Karma Tsiring, who studied in Chandighar is concerned about the pressure that him and people he knows from his generation are getting. According to him everything in the city is about money and about just having more things. Which are very different values to the ones his ancestors taught him at home.

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Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA -.
Dawa Tundup (83) and Karma Tsiring (24) stand inside their home in Karnakling. 25 years ago Dawa, Karma's grandfather, decided to move out of Kharnak, and out of their century traditional nomadic way of living, to live in the city where there was health and education facilities. He remembers the days in Kharnak with a lot of nostalgia, pointing out how different life was there. He dreams to go back to Kharnak and hopes that people would live there again if the government provides with the necessary infrastructure (mainly schools and hospitals) to make life a little easier for the nomadic people. Karma Tsiring, who studied in Chandighar is concerned about the pressure that him and people he knows from his generation are getting. According to him everything in the city is about money and about just having more things. Which are very different values to the ones his ancestors taught him at home.

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Rinchen looks out of the community's hall in the settlement of Yagang. Ladakh, India
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Rinchen (19) looks out of the community's hall in the settlement of Yagang before participating of the horse festival. Ladakh, India

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Rinchen (19) looks out of the community's hall in the settlement of Yagang before participating of the horse festival. Ladakh, India

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​Mipham Shakya (61) prepares some butter tea at her home in the nomadic settlement of Yagang. Ladakh, India.
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Yangdol (61) prepares some butter tea at her home in the nomadic settlement of Yagang. Ladakh, India. 

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Yangdol (61) prepares some butter tea at her home in the nomadic settlement of Yagang. Ladakh, India. 

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​Kharnak women pray during nine days of prayers (Mani) in the nomadic settlement of Yagang, in the high plateau of Khrarnak.
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Kharnak women pray during nine days of prayers (Mani) in the nomadic settlement of Yagang, in the high plateau of Khrarnak.  

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Kharnak women pray during nine days of prayers (Mani) in the nomadic settlement of Yagang, in the high plateau of Khrarnak.  

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A Kharnak Nomad takes a rest during prayer time inside the community house in the nomadic settlement of Yagang, in the high plateau of Karnak. Ladakh, India.
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A Kharnak Nomad takes a rest during prayer time inside the community house in the nomadic settlement of Yagang, in the high plateau of Karnak. Ladakh, India. 

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A Kharnak Nomad takes a rest during prayer time inside the community house in the nomadic settlement of Yagang, in the high plateau of Karnak. Ladakh, India. 

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A Kharnak Nomad fills up 108 candle holders with water previous to night prayers during Mani, were the community prays for 9 consecutive days. Ladakh, India.
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A Kharnak Nomad fills up 108 candle holders with water previous to night prayers during Mani, were the community prays for 9 consecutive days. Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak Nomad fills up 108 candle holders with water previous to night prayers during Mani, were the community prays for 9 consecutive days. Ladakh, India.

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​Gyalsan Zangpo, one of the elders of the settlement of Yagang, performs a Buddhist ceremony called "Lapa". Ladakh, India.
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In the nomadic settlement of Yagang, Gyalsan Zangpo, one of the elders of the settlement, performs a Buddhist ceremony called "Lapa". This is done inside the families' house and at the corrals where their sheep and goat sleep. The purpose of the ceremony is to bless the family and the animals. Kharnak nomads have very strong Buddhist believes and stick to their traditions. Ladakh, India. 

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In the nomadic settlement of Yagang, Gyalsan Zangpo, one of the elders of the settlement, performs a Buddhist ceremony called "Lapa". This is done inside the families' house and at the corrals where their sheep and goat sleep. The purpose of the ceremony is to bless the family and the animals. Kharnak nomads have very strong Buddhist believes and stick to their traditions. Ladakh, India. 

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A group of Kharnak women learn how to weave and process wool as part of a training program to keep the trade and traditions. Ladakh, India.
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A group of Kharnak women learn how to weave and process wool as part of a training program to keep the trade and traditions of this craft. Kharnakling, Ladakh, India.

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A group of Kharnak women learn how to weave and process wool as part of a training program to keep the trade and traditions of this craft. Kharnakling, Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak man rests after a hard day of work in his tent at the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India.
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A Kharnak man rests after a hard day of work in his tent at the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India. 

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A Kharnak man rests after a hard day of work in his tent at the nomadic settlement of Zara. Ladakh, India. 

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 A Kharnak woman offers snacks to the participants of Ldum, a full day celebration organized by one family who's had a newborn child.
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 A Kharnak woman offers snacks to the participants of Ldum, a full day celebration organized by one family who's had a newborn child. The party can be organized soon after the baby is born or even several years later, once they have the funds to organize and invite the community. In this celebration that includes constant live music, food served and dancing there were over 500 guests, who also brought gifts to the family. Kharnakling, Ladakh, India.

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 A Kharnak woman offers snacks to the participants of Ldum, a full day celebration organized by one family who's had a newborn child. The party can be organized soon after the baby is born or even several years later, once they have the funds to organize and invite the community. In this celebration that includes constant live music, food served and dancing there were over 500 guests, who also brought gifts to the family. Kharnakling, Ladakh, India.

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​A Kharnak woman eats at a local restaurant in Choglamsar. This small business belongs to Karma Konzok an ex nomad, who established his business some years ago.
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A Kharnak woman eats at a local restaurant in Choglamsar, a town 7 kms. from Leh the capital of Ladakh. The small restaurant belongs to Karma Konzok an ex nomad, who established his business some years ago. Ladakh, India. 

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A Kharnak woman eats at a local restaurant in Choglamsar, a town 7 kms. from Leh the capital of Ladakh. The small restaurant belongs to Karma Konzok an ex nomad, who established his business some years ago. Ladakh, India. 

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Karma Tsiring (24) talks to a relative while on his motorbike in the town of Kharnakling. Ladakh, INDIA
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Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA - .
Karma Tsiring (24) talks to a relative while on his motorbike in the town of Kharnakling. He is part of a generation of nomads that was sent to get formal education to the city at a young age and has never spent a full winter in the land where his parents and grandparents were born. He has no intentions to move out of the city to live in nomadic settlements. Like other young descendent of nomadic people he is concerned about the cultural, social and economic changes that are affecting his people, and wants to have an active roll in his community.

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Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA - .
Karma Tsiring (24) talks to a relative while on his motorbike in the town of Kharnakling. He is part of a generation of nomads that was sent to get formal education to the city at a young age and has never spent a full winter in the land where his parents and grandparents were born. He has no intentions to move out of the city to live in nomadic settlements. Like other young descendent of nomadic people he is concerned about the cultural, social and economic changes that are affecting his people, and wants to have an active roll in his community.

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A newly built house on Ladakhi traditional style in Kharnakling, where all of Kharnak families have settled after leaving their traditional way of life. Ladakh, India.
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A newly built house on Ladakhi traditional style in Kharnakling, a settlement 7 kms away from the capital of Ladakh, Leh, where all of Kharnak families have settled after leaving their traditional way of life. Over the years, the land in this settlement has become more scarce and expensive, forcing some of these nomads to find a different place were to construct their homes, away from the community they've live with their entire life. Ladakh, India.

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A newly built house on Ladakhi traditional style in Kharnakling, a settlement 7 kms away from the capital of Ladakh, Leh, where all of Kharnak families have settled after leaving their traditional way of life. Over the years, the land in this settlement has become more scarce and expensive, forcing some of these nomads to find a different place were to construct their homes, away from the community they've live with their entire life. Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak girl rides her bicycle on a street in Kharnakling, a settlement 7 kms away from the capital of Ladakh, Leh, where all of Kharnak families have settled after leaving their traditional way of life. Ladakh, India.
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A Kharnak girl rides her bicycle on a street in Kharnakling, a settlement 7 kms away from the capital of Ladakh, Leh, where all of Kharnak families have settled after leaving their traditional way of life. Nomads families who used to live in the High plateaus of Kharnak had to adapt to city life, changing their traditional trade to businesses such as freight services, restaurants or tourist guides amongst many others. Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak girl rides her bicycle on a street in Kharnakling, a settlement 7 kms away from the capital of Ladakh, Leh, where all of Kharnak families have settled after leaving their traditional way of life. Nomads families who used to live in the High plateaus of Kharnak had to adapt to city life, changing their traditional trade to businesses such as freight services, restaurants or tourist guides amongst many others. Ladakh, India.

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Stanzin Konchok, his sister Jigmet and brother in law Karma prepare lunch at her sister's home in Kharnakling. Ladakh, India.
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Stanzin Konchok (sitting), his sister Jigmet and their cousin Karma prepare lunch at Jigmet's home in Kharnakling. Karma was visiting their relatives since he had some days off from his duties in the Indian Army stationed somewhere in Ladakh, India.

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Stanzin Konchok (sitting), his sister Jigmet and their cousin Karma prepare lunch at Jigmet's home in Kharnakling. Karma was visiting their relatives since he had some days off from his duties in the Indian Army stationed somewhere in Ladakh, India.

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A Ladakhi boy enjoys the games at a fair set at the Polo Grounds of Leh. Ladakh, India.
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A Ladakhi boy enjoys the games at a fair set at the Polo Grounds of Leh. 
The capital of Ladakh is growing at an unprecedented pace. Agricultural fields have turned into hotels and tourism agencies flourish in every corner of the city as well as restaurants and businesses of all sorts. The explosion in tourism has led to scarcity of water and a growing problem with plastic and trash, which also expands to the neighbouring  villages where people from remote places are settling. Leh, Ladakh, INDIA

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A Ladakhi boy enjoys the games at a fair set at the Polo Grounds of Leh. 
The capital of Ladakh is growing at an unprecedented pace. Agricultural fields have turned into hotels and tourism agencies flourish in every corner of the city as well as restaurants and businesses of all sorts. The explosion in tourism has led to scarcity of water and a growing problem with plastic and trash, which also expands to the neighbouring  villages where people from remote places are settling. Leh, Ladakh, INDIA

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A Kharnak girl stands in the living room of her parents house in Kharnakling, where they will celebrate her third birthday.
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A Kharnak girl stands in the living room of her parents house in Kharnakling, where they will celebrate her third birthday. Her father Norbu left for Leh from Kharnak in 1999, were he went to study. He would go back to visit his parents every-now and then, but he considers himself more of a city person. Their life is in the city, where his daughter will be educated. 

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A Kharnak girl stands in the living room of her parents house in Kharnakling, where they will celebrate her third birthday. Her father Norbu left for Leh from Kharnak in 1999, were he went to study. He would go back to visit his parents every-now and then, but he considers himself more of a city person. Their life is in the city, where his daughter will be educated. 

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Jigmet Lamo breastfeeds her baby, who was born only days ago in Yagang, one of their nomadic settlements in Karnakh.
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Jigmet Lamo breastfeeds her baby, who was born only days ago in Yagang, one of their nomadic settlements in Karnakh. The baby was born one month ahead than programmed, so that's why Lamo gave birth in the highlands and not in the hospital. Most of Kharnak people have been born in their nomadic settlements. Fortunately for Lamo everything went well and her baby was born healthy and strong. Ladakh, India.

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Jigmet Lamo breastfeeds her baby, who was born only days ago in Yagang, one of their nomadic settlements in Karnakh. The baby was born one month ahead than programmed, so that's why Lamo gave birth in the highlands and not in the hospital. Most of Kharnak people have been born in their nomadic settlements. Fortunately for Lamo everything went well and her baby was born healthy and strong. Ladakh, India.

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Karma Korzok and his daughter at his restaurant in Choglamsar. He is 39 years old, and open this restaurant some 5 years ago. Ladakh, India. ​
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Karma Korzok and his daughter at his restaurant in Choglamsar, a town 7 kilometers away from the capital of Ladakh, Leh. Karma is 39 years old, and open this restaurant some 5 years ago. Ladakh, India.

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Karma Korzok and his daughter at his restaurant in Choglamsar, a town 7 kilometers away from the capital of Ladakh, Leh. Karma is 39 years old, and open this restaurant some 5 years ago. Ladakh, India.

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A Kharnak teenager sits on the grounds of a Buddhist temple overlooking Kharnakling, a urban settlement where 120 Kharnak families have have moved to over the last 20 years. Ladakh, India.
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Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA - October 23, 2019. A Kharnak teenager sits on the grounds of a Buddhist temple overlooking Kharnakling, a urban settlement where 120 Kharnak families have have moved to over the last 20 years.

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Kharnakling, Ladakh, INDIA - October 23, 2019. A Kharnak teenager sits on the grounds of a Buddhist temple overlooking Kharnakling, a urban settlement where 120 Kharnak families have have moved to over the last 20 years.

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​Tserong Stobdan (60) walks up the hills to go look for the communities' yaks who have been grazing during the day close to Yagang, one of their five nomadic settlements.
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Tserong Stobdan (60) walks up the hills to go look for the communities' yaks who have been grazing during the day close to Yagang, one of their five nomadic settlements. It will take him about two hours to get to them and another hour to walk them down to the village where they will back to their owners. Kharnak nomads.

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Tserong Stobdan (60) walks up the hills to go look for the communities' yaks who have been grazing during the day close to Yagang, one of their five nomadic settlements. It will take him about two hours to get to them and another hour to walk them down to the village where they will back to their owners. Kharnak nomads.

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