Ladakh is one of the hidden regions of the world. There are many Buddhist monasteries and stupas in this corner of the world hidden between the lofty mountains of the Himalayas, and thanks to this, the locals refer to Ladakh as the land of stupas and monasteries.
The monasteries built on high ground can be reached by winding roads. The monasteries are white, yellow, or red stone buildings decorated with beautiful colorful Tibetan wood carvings, and prayer wheels are arranged around their courtyards.
The monks here in Ladakh wear distinctive red clothes and are mostly active in the courtyards of the monasteries, only praying and holding special ceremonies in the central temple. Among the monks all age groups can be found.
When we were in the Thiksay monastery, there was a special ceremony for the child monks. I was curious about what a Buddhist ceremony was like, so I was happy that we could take part in it. In the temple, there were many little monk boys sitting on the low benches: some of them were drinking tea, some of them were eating porridge... and some of them were yawning all the time. We huddled in the corner and watched the events from there.
This is where I met Nurbu, the 7-year-old monk boy. Just like in the movies, Nurbu was left as a baby in a small basket at the gate of the monastery and has been raised by monks ever since. Nurbu is a real mischievous child, full of life and almost always smiling. During the ceremony, he sat next to a big round drum and it was his job to make the big drum sound when needed. He did his job seriously.
After the ceremony, the children spread out in the courtyard of the monastery with joyful laughter and started chasing each other. The squeals of children could be heard on the steps, in the courtyard, in every building of the monastery. It was a joy to watch the many nail-biting children in red clothes popping up here and there.
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