Child monks in the Indian Himalayas

Child monks in the Indian Himalayas

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High in the Indian Himalayas, young novice monks in maroon robes take their lessons inside the 15th-century Thiksey monastery.

. Leh, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
Shanti Stupa, which contains the relics of the Buddha, stands on a hilltop in Chanspa.

Buddhist monasteries in the mountain desert,  which forms a part of troubled Jammu and Kashmir state and borders both China and Pakistan, are a reminder of the region's ties to its eastern neighbour, Tibet.

. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Ethnic Tibetans fled across the border after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 and live in so-called “Little Tibets” in north and south India.

. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton

Most Tibetan families in India send at least one child to a monastery to learn about their own culture, language and religion.

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. Leh, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
. Leh, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
. Thiksey, INDIA. Reuters/Cathal McNaughton