PILGRIMS OF TIBET
View of the Yarlung Valley from the Yungbulakang Palace Fortress
Tibet is one of those rare places where religion, faith and everyday life are one. Religion is woven into the tapestry of Tibetan life, and everywhere you go, you meet pilgrims. From all over Tibet they come with prayer wheels in hand, to flock to holy sites like the Jokang Temple in Lhasa, the Samye Monastery and Yungbulakang Palace Fortress (both in the Yarlung River Valley), the Tashilunpho complex in Shigatse, and Mount Kailash in western Tibet.
Before paying their respects within the temple, pilgrims will undertake a "kora" - the clockwise circumambulation - of the site. Particularly devout pilgrims will not just walk, but add a prostration between their steps. A kora (without prostrations) around the Jokang Temple can be accomplished within an hour, but the 30 mile kora around Mount Kailash, at heights of 16,000 ft - 18,500 ft will take Tibetan pilgrims a very long day (the rest of us sea level dwellers will need three days).
A young family has breakfast in the town of Zedang before heading up to path to the Yungbulakang Palace
Time for a little rest before making the climb.
A friendly woman in Zedang took time away from her spinning to greet the tourists.
Yungbulakang Palace
Doorway in Zedang
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Crossing the Yarlung River
This woman lost her little daughter, and tradition calls for releasing her daughters belongings to the river.
Samye Monastery
Pilgrims at the Samye Monastery.
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Walking on the banks of the Yarlung River
On the grounds of the Samye Monastery
Getting on the bus back to the ferry.
Pilgrims on the ferry ridge back to Zedang.
All photos © Deepika Shrestha Ross.