"Prayer-time for the children"

All over the world, children are beautiful. In Ladakh, where living

is harsh, where facilities are not always available, and where road

infrastructures are limited, they do not always get the chance to go

to school. The better off are often the little monks, who receive

education from buddhist monks in the big monastries (Thicksey,

Chemrey...). Most children help their family in the field, to raise

cattle or to work in shops. This picture was taken at 3800m above

the sea, in one of the Himalaya's highest "capital cities", Leh.

Before they go to school, children usually stop at the temple to

pray and turn the prayer-mill. In the evening, those mills are good

meeting points for playing children or for lovers on a secret rendez-

vous. More then 90% of Ladakhis are buddhist, even though their

territory is under strict control of the Indian army.