Transporting the reader to the spiritual realm of lamas—most of it sequestered within the forbidding territory of the high Himalayas—Himalayan Buddhist Monasteries gives us a glimpse of the mystical, vibrant and serene world of Buddhist monasteries, locally known as gompas. Buddhist ceremonies, funeral and reincarnation rites, prayer rituals, festivals and dances re-enacting sacred historical events are captured in scintillating detail in this book with exquisite photographs and a vivid text. The historical evolution of the gompas in Tibetan art, architecture, education and their socio-religious functions in the life of the people are thematically examined. The sheer breadth and variety of images of monastic life in Bhutan, India, Nepal and Tibet, covering the entire gamut of Buddhist sects makes this book unlike any other.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR M.N. Rajesh
Dr. M.N. Rajesh is a young scholar who is devoted to studying social contexts in which religious institutions and traditions function and flourish particularly with respect to Hinduism and Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent. He is presently lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Thomas L. Kelly
Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and educated at University of Chicago and Rome, Thomas L. Kelly first went to Nepal in 1978 as a Peace Corps volunteer, and has since worked as a photo-activist, documenting the struggles of marginalized people and disappearing cultural traditions all over the world. His work has appeared in publications worldwide, including national Geographic, Newsweek, The New York Times, natural History, Smithsonian, Le Figaro, and Sternand geo. Apart from photography, he has produced and directed films and videos on a number of social issues. Kelly lives in Kathmandu with his wife and children.
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