Religion and Culture
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE NAGA
How the community remains rooted in the land The Norlha community is directly issued from the pastoral background they were born into and are eith...
Read more
Religion and Culture
MONLAM CHENMO
The Great Prayer Festival, or Monlam Chenmo, was established by Je-Rinpoche, or Tsong Khapa, in Lhasa in 1409. The timing, the first two weeks of ...
Read more
Religion and Culture
LUNAR NEW YEAR
On the Tibetan Plateau, Losar, or New Year, is the most awaited and celebrated event of the year, a time for family reunions, weddings, and new beg...
Read more
Religion and Culture
PROSTRATING
When traveling on the Tibetan Plateau, one will often encounter groups of pilgrims clad in heavy leather aprons making the journey by prostrating, ...
Read more
Animals and Surroundings
STONE CAIRNS
The dumbom, or stone cairn, is an endemic feature of the Tibetan Plateau landscape. They appear on common ground, on the banks of lakes, hilltops, ...
Read more
Religion and Culture
KHATA SCARF
A Khata is a white scarf used for ceremonial occasions in regions where Tibetan Buddhism is practised or holds a strong influence. A symbol of hono...
Read more
Religion and Culture
BLESSING THE LAND
As humans, we like to make our mark and build on land that we consider empty. We buy it, exchange or inherit it and consider it ours. In Tibet, peo...
Read more
Religion and Culture
EARTH CLEANSING
Each year, on the 19th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, the monks of Ritoma Monastery and men representing each clan and household make ...
Read more
Religion and Culture
THE MOVE TO CHAKKA
From time immemorial, harmony among various pastoral groups relied on equal access to their most important asset; grassland. Norlha lies in the dis...
Read more