Child monks of the Himalayas

High in the Himalayas, young novice monks in maroon robes take their lessons in the 15th-Century Thiksey monastery near Leh in Ladakh – known as the land of high passes – in Indian-administered Kashmir, disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

With its whitewashed ramparts sitting over 3,000m high on a rocky crag, with breathtaking views across the Indus Valley to the mountains beyond, Thiksey is home to a monastic community affiliated with the “yellow hat” or Gelukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.