You’ll Be Mesmerized by These Photos of the Changpas of Rupshu Valley

The barren landscape of Rupshu Valley, which ranges between 14,800 feet and 18,000 feet, is inhospitable for farming. The Changpas are traditional pastoralists and they rear yaks, sheep, and horses. Yaks are used by the Changpas as pack animals and as dependable sources of milk, hide, and meat.

The Changpas are devout followers of Buddhism, which preaches non-violence; but they have to kill their animals and sell them off for meat. As a form of redemption from this sin, the bead of prayers is a constant companion for most of the members of the clan, as they recite prayers and Buddhist chants.

The traditional headdress is a wide strip of leather covered with a blue cloth on which rows of rough-cut turquoise stones are attached. The heavy headgear has remained a mark of prestige and aristocracy through the years and is usually worn during festive occasions.

The largest high-altitude lake in the Indian Trans-Himalayan belt, Tso-Moriri is ringed by mountains rising over 19,685 feet. The ocher harshness of Rupshu Valley magically metamorphoses into sublime languor as Tso Moriri announces itself—an ethereal pearl-shaped mass of blue in meditative repose, subtly shifting color throughout the day from an intense cobalt to a light sapphire. The brackish waters of this 16,000-foot high lake are holy for the Changpas and is a biodiversity hotspot for preserving endangered species like Asiatic wild bass, black-necked cranes, and marmots.

A group of Changpa horsemen race near lake Tso Moriri. Horse racing is an ancient and prestigious sport among the Changpas but now has become infrequent.

Their ancestral way of life has been the key to the survival of the Changpa, who have used their indigenous knowledge system to optimize the use of rangeland vegetation in Rupshu Valley, where the grazing of yaks, sheep, goats, and horses is regulated through a well-planned migration in a land characterized by a fragile ecosystem.

The Changpas have shreds of animism in their religious beliefs that can be traced back to their herding tradition: for a Changpa nomad, his livestock is intrinsically sacred creatures bestowed upon him by the gods of the valley.

Unlike other pastoral nomadic tribes, they do not travel from one climate region to another, but follow the route from one grassland to another, four times a year.

In these remote parts, Buddhist practices have been deeply influenced by Tibetan rituals, which predate Buddhism in the region.

Day’s end at Pangong Tso, the second-highest lake of Changthang plateau. Pangong Tso, which means “long, narrow, enchanted lake” in Tibetan, has been identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance.