Zanskar: a horse ride for the Bride

This is one of the most spectacular feasts in Indian Himalayan highvalleys. Dressed in their finest costumes, accompanied with musiciansand horses, Tenzin and Dawa are ready for their society wedding. Awedding that is half way between romance and exhilarating drama.A voyage beyond.

A Photo story by Gilles Crampes / LightMediation

2515-01: These riders in traditional behaviour represent the procession which will accompany a future bride towards her future husband's village. Padum Valley, august 2001.

Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LightMediation Picture Agency - +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

2515-01: These riders in traditional behaviour represent the procession which will accompany a futurebride towards her future husband's village. Padum Valley, august 2001.

2515-02: The groom's nyopas, clad in colourful traditional clothes, adorned with silver and turquoisenecklace reliquaries. August 2001, Padum Valley.

2515-03: Riders on the way to the bride's house. August 2001, Padum valley. 2515-04: On the way to the bride's house, the nyopas are expected by the population of the valley, oneach single holy places as stupas, with chang the traditional himalayan barley alcohol. August 2001,

2515-16: The groom's party (from left to right, drinking) : Tsering Wangdu, his uncle on his mother's side, Dorjai Tsering, his ton mi (best man), and his father Tsering Thundup. They drink chang (barley beer) in front oftheir house before leaving to get the bride at her village.August 2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-05: Monk in the contemplation of the valley of Padum from one of the terraces of his monastery.August 2001, Karsha monastery.

2515-06: Karsha monastery, Padum valley.

2515-07: Thonde village surrounded by barley fields. 2515-08: Monks in the contemplation of the valley of Padum from one of the terraces of Karshamonastery.

2515-47: The dusk of the second day is the emotional peak of the wedding : moaning and crying, the bride (Dawa) is about to leave her village for her husband's one. Friends and relatives to whom she says goodbyealso shed tears.

August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-09: Nyopas are dancing on the way to the bride's house. August 2001, Padum valley.. 2515-10: The groom's nyopas at Tenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. Assistant of Tenzin's party,they are clad in colourful traditional clothes, adorned with silver and turquoise necklace reliquaries. August

2515-11: The groom's nyopas at Tenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. Assistant of Tenzin's party,they are clad in colourful traditional clothes, adorned with silver and turquoise necklace reliquaries.

2515-12: At the groom's house in Yulang, women sift flour to prepare 700 chapatis (pancakes) for theguests. August 2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-13: At the bride's house, an old buddhist chapel is used to store the chapatis (pancakes) that will beoffered to the guests the morning after.August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-14: At the bride's house, a monk from Karsha monastry chants propitious prayers for the twofamilies. The prayers are chosen according to the groom and bride's astrological charts.August 2008,

2515-15: Dorjai Tsering, the groom's ton mi (bestman), drinks chang (barley beer) with Tsering Wangdu,the groom's uncle. In Zanskar, both the groom and the bride's side chose themselves a ton mi and an

2515-16: The groom's party (from left to right, drinking) : Tsering Wangdu, his uncle on his mother's side,Dorjai Tsering, his ton mi (best man), and his father Tsering Thundup. They drink chang (barley beer) in

2515-12: At the groom's house in Yulang, women sift flour to prepare 700 chapatis (pancakes) for the guests. August 2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-17: At the time of the marriage, old women converse while drinking chang. August 2001. 2515-18: Mother and her child.

2515-19: The groom's nyopas at Tenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. On the road to the bride'svillage, they stop by houses where they sing, dance and drink offerings of beer. August 2008, Padum

2515-20: Every guest at a zanskari wedding is expected to bring his or her own cup. Those who fail to doso have to drink the chang (barley beer) in their palms. Some cups, highly prized, are locally made of

2515-35: In Tenzin Gadey family's house, his nyopas dance before the departure to the bride's village.August 2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-21: Old drunk man. His skin is coloured by the natural dye of his clothes, faded by too much alcohol.August 2001, Padum.

2515-22: The groom's nyopas at Tenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. On the road to the bride'svillage, the nyopas stop by houses where they are provided with offerings of food and beer. August 2008,

2515-23: Nyopa dancing on the way to the bride's house. August 2001, Padum valley. 2515-24: A Nyopa is drinking chang, the typical himalayan barley alcohol, offered by some villagers on theway to the bride's house. August 2001, Padum valley.

2515-37: During the long wedding ritual, the bride (Dawa) is assisted by girls of the same village and age class, called the yatopas. They help her to endure the long wait, and prepare her to leave her village and family.August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-25: The groom's nyopas at Tenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. On the road to the bride'svillage, the nyopas stop by houses where they are provided with offerings of food and beer. They sing and

2515-26: The groom's party is sometimes expected to offer a horse to the bride's party in order tocompensate for the turquoise and silver necklaces she brings with her. Called for that reason the « price

2515-27: Horses waiting for their riders while drinking chang on the way to the bride's house. August2001, Padum valley.

2515-28: In the groom family's house, his nyopas dance before the departure to the bride's village. Theyare clad in colourful traditional clothes, adorned with silver and turquoise necklace reliquaries.August

2515-41: The groom's nyopas drinking at the bride's house. It's the second day of the wedding and, a few hours before Dawa's departure, a dense crowd of villagers also visits the house to pay respect to her family. August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-29: One of the groom's nyopas at Tenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. He's clad in colourfultraditional clothes, adorned with a silver and turquoise necklace reliquary. August 2008, Padum Valley,

2515-30: Often a teenager, and by far the youngest of the groom's nyopas, the tashispa (« theauspicious ») is not only picked for his age : his astrological chart has to match the bride and the groom's

2515-31: Though they have to sing, dance and drink for sometimes more than 48 h, the groom's nyopasare given almost no time to rest. Sleeping would be a disgrace. They usually end up stone drunk and

2515-32: One of the groom's nyopas at Tenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. He's clad in colourfultraditional clothes, adorned with a silver and turquoise necklace reliquary.August 2008, Padum Valley,

2515-33: In Tenzin Gadey family's house, his nyopas prepare for the departure to the bride's village.Wearing sunglasses, the lorpen (« song master ») is their leader. Expert in the the art of wedding songs,

2515-34: In Tenzin Gadey family's house, his nyopas prepare for the departure to the bride's village. Theyoungest of them, the tashispa (« the auspicious »), blesses food offerings with arrows. Sitting in the back,

2515-35: In Tenzin Gadey family's house, his nyopas dance before the departure to the bride'svillage.August 2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-36: In Tenzin Gadey family's house, his nyopas dance before the departure to the bride's village.August 2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-56: A young monk gets back his monastery. August 2001, Thonde village.

2515-37: During the long wedding ritual, the bride (Dawa) is assisted by girls of the same village and ageclass, called the yatopas. They help her to endure the long wait, and prepare her to leave her village and

2515-38: Clad in pricey silver and turquoise jewels, Dawa Dolma shed tears before she leaves forTenzin's village. During zanskari weddings, the bride loudly cries and whimpers to express her pain of

2515-39: A guest at Dawa Dolma's wedding, deeply moved by her cries and about to shed a tearhimself.August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-40: Old woman wearing perak, the traditional hat made by Astrakan, and her grand son. August2001, Kumik village.

2515-41: The groom's nyopas drinking at the bride's house. It's the second day of the wedding and, a fewhours before Dawa's departure, a dense crowd of villagers also visits the house to pay respect to her

2515-42: Second day of the wedding in the bride's house. Visiting relatives and villagers, mostly womenwith their children or grand-children, wait to be offered chapatis (pancakes), tea and barley beer. August

2515-43: Weddings are the oportunity for the women of the valley to gossip. August 2001, Tarang village. 2515-44: Small girl in the crowd of zanskagpa women with traditional caps, the peraks. The number ofturquoises, in addition to esthetics, makes it possible to show the social standing of those which carry

2515-28: In the groom family's house, his nyopas dance before the departure to the bride's village. They are clad in colourful traditional clothes, adorned with silver and turquoise necklace reliquaries.August 2001, PadumValley, Kumik village.

2515-45: Traditional cap of the Zanskagpa women: perak. In addition to esthetics, the number ofturquoises which decorate the back of the cap attests social standing of the family.

2515-46: At the end of the second day, the crying bride (Dawa) is led by the tashispa to the horse that willtake her to her husband's house. She is covered with auspicious offerings : banknotes and white khatas

2515-47: The dusk of the second day is the emotional peak of the wedding : moaning and crying, thebride (Dawa) is about to leave her village for her husband's one. Friends and relatives to whom she says

2515-48: The dusk of the second day is the emotional peak of the wedding : moaning and crying, the bride(Dawa) is about to leave her village for her husband's one. Friends and relatives to whom she says

2515-49: The second day at dusk, the crying bride (Dawa) is taken away to her husband's house. She iscovered with auspicious offerings : banknotes and white khataks (ceremonial scarves). Friends and

2515-50: The second day at dusk, the crying bride (Dawa) is taken away to her husband's house. She iscovered with auspicious offerings : banknotes and white khataks (ceremonial scarves). Friends and

2515-51: The second day at dusk, riding horses, the groom's nyopas escort Dawa (the bride) to her newhouse.August 2008, Padum Valley, between Langmig and Yulang village.

2515-53: At full gallop, singing and yelling on their horses, the groom's nyopas take Dawa to herhusband's village. August 2008, Padum Valley, between Langmig and Yulang village.

2515-52: Almost entirely covered with white khataks (ceremonial scarves), Dawa is taken to her new husband's house and village. The bride traditionnally seats at the back of the tashispa's horse. August 2008, PadumValley, between Langmig and Yulang village.

2515-57: Riders approach the monastery of Karsha which overhangs the plain of Padum. 2515-54: Second day, in the afternoon: two nyopas try to get some rest in front of the bride's house.Though they have to sing, dance and drink for sometimes more than 48 h, the groom's nyopas are given

2515-55: At the end of the party, this drunk man falls asleep in the pastures. August 2001, Padum. 2515-58: Dawa's new family: one day after the ceremony, the bride poses with her husband, his relatives,and the two kids she already had with him before. The couple was officially married in 2001, and since

Zanskar: ahorse ride forthe Bride

"When we were kids, we used to playtogether in the fields. But it's only six yearsago, on meeting her again at a friend'swedding that my feelings for her aroused.So I suggested to my father that he wonher hand for me and one year later, in2001, we were officially wed." With thosewords, blue-eyed and lightly-moustachedTenzin Gadey modestly sums up hislove-story with Dawa Dolma who hasgiven him two children. Yet, for bothfamilies, everything is actually startingtoday with their bagston chemno, theirsociety wedding. It consequently tookthem five years to collect the moneyrequired. A great wedding, Tenzinexplains pointing out to the ground wherewomen are sifting flour to make sevenhundred pancakes. This is one of the mostsumptuous feasts in Zanskari life: it onlytakes place when two first-born childrenget married thus uniting two households.Although non-religious, this celebration isa most traditional ceremony, or so wethought on leaving Leh, the capital city ofLadakh, taking the long road to Zanskar. Atwo-day track between glaciers andravines, looking for a wedding. While ourjeep is hurtling down the long lunar valleyof Zanskar from the mountain pass ofPensi- 4450m-, Rigzin, our perfect guidereminds us: "In summer the road is openbut when temperature drops to - 30°C foreight snowy months, the only access thereis by foot, through passes or ice-frozenrivers." Its enclosed location has helpedpreserve the roots of a culture mixing

Tibetan Buddhism and local animist faith.Here we are, facing Tenzin's whitewashedhouse, amidst waves of harsh greenbarley and snowy glittering peaks rising farabove the valley. Somewhat stunned,which might be due to the flashing air butmore probably to the effects of chang, amalted beer that we had to drink as apropitiatory gesture. Sitting in the middleof a field, downing the glassfuls poured bythe women from the village, here are thegreat protagonists of the wedding. On thegroom's side: his discreet father, his uncleon his mother's side, the traditionalsupporter of the feast and the ton-mi, hisbest man who isn't a relative of his andwho has followed the whole negotiationprocess of the wedding with the spouse'sparty. Then, tottering out of the house, alldressed up in their shimmering tunics,their silver reliquary necklaces and theirrice-pot shaped headgears ornamentedwith garlands, here come the nyopas. Ho ho the nyopas! Specialised in singingand drinking those reciters have thatsuper power of never forgetting one singleverse even when they are quite heavilyloaded. Those common men are invitedfor that purpose only: singing and dancingrestlessly. They thus provide the show andthe protection of heaps of divinities -deities of the house, of the clan, of thesoil, of the underground... They areenjoying their purple patch, right now, atthe end of the day, with the conquest ofthe bride. Therefore, except for the groomwho will wait with his father, everybody isheading towards Langmig, Dawa's villageon a bus they have rent for that specialevent. This is somewhat disappointing asthis trip used to be a brilliant ride. "This isgetting rare, Dourié, the nyopas' leadersays regretfully, his ruddy nose and hisscrewed up eyes proving for a good fortyyears' celebration of weddings. Insummer, the wedding season that is, the

horses are let to trekking groups and withroads developing, families find it easier togo on a motorized trip.Isabelle Riaboff, an ethnologist, expert onZanskar had warned us: "The bride andthe groom are usually from different clansand places, the wedding is consequently awhole trip. All along the road, people fromneighbouring hamlets have come down towait for the groom's delegation and givehim something to drink." Bouncing alongthe road, the coach actually stops severaltimes to let everybody know about thehappy event, pulling up in front of isolatedhouses. Juniper fumigations, solemnsongs and more beer down the Nyopa'sgullets. The youngest of them has justturned fourteen. He is blessing the foodwith his pointed arrow. This tashispa -Himalayan Cupid - has been chosen forhis young age and for his birth chart that isin harmony with that of the bride. Theyexplain to us that his blessings areprotecting the wedding.In a cloud of dust, the coach miraculouslyreaches Langmig without skidding off thetrack. Strangely enough, the bride's party,all dressed for the occasion is waiting forthe delegation so as to prevent them fromgoing into the bride's house. Is there aconflict here? Not at all, but the ritual hasis that one must set as many obstacles aspossible on the path leading to the bride.In the beams of the moon, the barleys andthe rivers seem unreal. A several-hour andexhausting duel is starting now. A lyricaltilt staging the groom's nyopas who haveto recite poetic verse respecting traditionalcodes to answer the other nyopas'singing riddles for the bride's account.Since the general idea is to block theformers' progress, this becomes a low-keyrumpus that even our interpreter findsdifficult to translate. Giggling and agitatingthreatening willow rods, the bride's friendsare pushing the scrum backwards while

trying to get some rupees from thegroom's party. In darkness, confusion,libations, shouts of laughter from theyoung having fun in the fields. At last,around 2 am, quivering from alcohol intheir loosened headdresses Tenzin'snyopas are welcomed in the bride'shouse. No rest for them though. They'regiven some more alcohol. Dawa hassupposedly disappeared. One pretendsnot to know where. She is actually in tearswith a neighbour of hers. She is beingdressed in her richest attire inherited fromher mother: the perak, a headdressfestooned with many turquoises just likeher breastplate and heavy silvernecklaces. When dawn comes, no sooner,she'll be taken home like a living treasurebefore being sent to the groom's nyopas.Some more toasts later, one ultimate ritualgame: Dawa is hidden under a blanketwith her friends and the tashipa whoseeyesight has grown quite weak has toprick his arrow in the material and find outthe bride. Business is settled now. This might be aquestion of love but, a society weddingfirst means a great trading, which mayhave started years before with the first drichang -a beer meeting- when the groom'sparents visit the bride's parents. If thelatter drink the formers' beer, thennegotiations can begin. "They refused todrink ours", remembers Dorjai, thewitness, "but we knew that that was no flatrefusal". It actually took us three dri changfor our two families to agree on a deal.The expenses of the feast are dispatchedbetween both families but the groom'shave to pay the most to get the spouseand her jewels: barley, butter, doloks-silver coins-, one sheep and one younghorse for the turquoise breastplate.Twilight; second day. After having spentthe whole day drinking at the bride's,sheltering from a sand wind, the villagers

eventually get out in a gust. Wrapped inthe kathas, the long lucky white scarvesshe's been given, Dawa hasn't stoppedcrying. She's like a tottering white ball ofmaterial and, supervised as she is by thetashipa, she's saying farewell to herweeping relatives for it is time for her toleave her family cocoon. A couple ofhorses have been gathered making herride to her groom more honourable than ina jeep. The groom's party is exulting. Themusicians are stepping up. His nyopas,his father and his uncle are raving into afrantic dance drowning out Dawa's crying.A prostrate bride is hoisted up tashispa'shorse and off they go on a wild ridepunctuated by screams and unbridledsongs. Driven by drunken riders on afantasia that is flashed by the lights of theaccompanying jeeps, Dawa doesn't utter aword: one hour to go and she will be lyingin her marriage bed.The bride's emotions are ritual and part ofthe game. Reversing tradition, which has itthat the wedding night should be thecouple's first genuine meeting, Tenzin andDawa have already been living togetherthus proving along with the smallernumber of horses that Zanskari society isundergoing dramatic changes. "Theopening of the road to Kargil in theeighties changed everything", DavidGoeury, a young French geographerexplains. He has come to sound the endof a legendary hemmed in territory. Thatmajor road has brought businessmen'slorries, tourists' ATVs and new ideas fromthe young who went to study in Indiangreat cities. "And then you find more andmore Zanskaris working for theadministration or the army," David adds.Progress has made the large number of

polygamous and polyandrous unionsdecrease, but in those marriages, ofconvenience for most of them, womencan't make themselves heard any better.The most traditional weddings are the onlyceremonies where the nyopas still playtheir real part with that rough rite ofpassage for the bride from her family toher new family. Those weddings havegrown rare. They only take place for greatfamilies or in valleys without any roadaccess. No more than six years ago,Gilles, my friend did see one of thoseceremonies, near Padum, Zanskar'sadministrative centre and he took somepictures. So what about trying to findthose protagonists? It takes Kyelsang, ourdriver, less than two hours to find thegroom in the dusty alleys of Padum."Look, I didn't decide on that marriage..."We are having a cup of tea and Tseringhas hardly uttered a word. But still, wehear that he is a primary school teachercoming from the upper class and that hiswedding was sumptuous. Yet, he's beenmarried for six years now and still doesn'thave a child. Then, as things arebecoming uneasy, he says: " I wasstudying in Chandigarh when I received aletter from my father telling me that he hadfound a suitable girl for me. I had neverseen her. The only thing I managed toanswer back was to ask him to let mecomplete my master first." Husband ofother times, Tsering stands up and givesus a wintry handshake. On watching himdisappear between the stalls, twoindiscreet reporters pause to think aboutTenzin and Dawa, lovers then newly-wedsin a Zanskar that has definitely hit the 21stcentury.

Captions

2515-01: These riders in traditionalbehaviour represent the procession whichwill accompany a future bride towards herfuture husband's village. Padum Valley,august 2001.

2515-02: The groom's nyopas, clad incolourful traditional clothes, adorned withsilver and turquoise necklace reliquaries.August 2001, Padum Valley.

2515-03: Riders on the way to the bride'shouse. August 2001, Padum valley.

2515-04: On the way to the bride's house,the nyopas are expected by the populationof the valley, on each single holy placesas stupas, with chang the traditionalhimalayan barley alcohol. August 2001,Padum Valley.

2515-05: Monk in the contemplation of thevalley of Padum from one of the terracesof his monastery. August 2001, Karshamonastery.

2515-06: Karsha monastery, Padumvalley.

2515-07: Thonde village surrounded bybarley fields.

2515-08: Monks in the contemplation ofthe valley of Padum from one of theterraces of Karsha monastery.

2515-09: Nyopas are dancing on the wayto the bride's house. August 2001, Padumvalley..

2515-10: The groom's nyopas at TenzinGadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding.

Assistant of Tenzin's party, they are cladin colourful traditional clothes, adornedwith silver and turquoise necklacereliquaries. August 2008, Padum Valley,between Yulang and Langmig villages

2515-11: The groom's nyopas at TenzinGadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. Assistant of Tenzin's party, they are cladin colourful traditional clothes, adornedwith silver and turquoise necklacereliquaries. August 2008, Padum Valley,between Yulang and Langmig villages

2515-12: At the groom's house in Yulang,women sift flour to prepare 700 chapatis(pancakes) for the guests. August 2008,Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-13: At the bride's house, an oldbuddhist chapel is used to store thechapatis (pancakes) that will be offered tothe guests the morning after.August 2008,Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-14: At the bride's house, a monkfrom Karsha monastry chants propitiousprayers for the two families. The prayersare chosen according to the groom andbride's astrological charts.August 2008,Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-15: Dorjai Tsering, the groom's tonmi (bestman), drinks chang (barley beer)with Tsering Wangdu, the groom's uncle.In Zanskar, both the groom and the bride'sside chose themselves a ton mi and anuncle on the mother's side to negociatethe financial aspects of the union.August2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-16: The groom's party (from left toright, drinking) : Tsering Wangdu, hisuncle on his mother's side, Dorjai Tsering,his ton mi (best man), and his fatherTsering Thundup. They drink chang

(barley beer) in front of their house beforeleaving to get the bride at hervillage.August 2008, Padum Valley,Yulang village.

2515-17: At the time of the marriage, oldwomen converse while drinking chang.August 2001.

2515-18: Mother and her child.

2515-19: The groom's nyopas at TenzinGadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. Onthe road to the bride's village, they stop byhouses where they sing, dance and drinkofferings of beer. August 2008, PadumValley, between Yulang and Langmigvillages.

2515-20: Every guest at a zanskariwedding is expected to bring his or herown cup. Those who fail to do so have todrink the chang (barley beer) in theirpalms. Some cups, highly prized, arelocally made of silver, others like this oneare imported from China. August 2008,Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-21: Old drunk man. His skin iscoloured by the natural dye of his clothes,faded by too much alcohol. August 2001,Padum.

2515-22: The groom's nyopas at TenzinGadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. Onthe road to the bride's village, the nyopasstop by houses where they are providedwith offerings of food and beer. August2008, Padum Valley, between Yulang andLangmig villages.

2515-23: Nyopa dancing on the way tothe bride's house. August 2001, Padumvalley.

2515-24: A Nyopa is drinking chang, the

typical himalayan barley alcohol, offeredby some villagers on the way to the bride'shouse. August 2001, Padum valley.

2515-25: The groom's nyopas at TenzinGadey and Dawa Dolma's wedding. Onthe road to the bride's village, the nyopasstop by houses where they are providedwith offerings of food and beer. They singand dance to bless these offerings.August 2008, Padum Valley, betweenYulang and Langmig villages.

2515-26: The groom's party is sometimesexpected to offer a horse to the bride'sparty in order to compensate for theturquoise and silver necklaces she bringswith her. Called for that reason the « priceof the breast », this poney will be offeredby Tenzin's family to Dawa's one.August2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-27: Horses waiting for their riderswhile drinking chang on the way to thebride's house. August 2001, Padumvalley.

2515-28: In the groom family's house, hisnyopas dance before the departure to thebride's village. They are clad in colourfultraditional clothes, adorned with silver andturquoise necklace reliquaries.August2001, Padum Valley, Kumik village.

2515-29: One of the groom's nyopas atTenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma'swedding. He's clad in colourful traditionalclothes, adorned with a silver andturquoise necklace reliquary. August2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-30: Often a teenager, and by far theyoungest of the groom's nyopas, thetashispa (« the auspicious ») is not onlypicked for his age : his astrological charthas to match the bride and the groom's

ones. August 2008, Tenzin Gadey andDawa Dolma's wedding, Padum Valley,Yulang village.

2515-31: Though they have to sing, danceand drink for sometimes more than 48 h,the groom's nyopas are given almost notime to rest. Sleeping would be a disgrace.They usually end up stone drunk andexhausted.August 2008, Tenzin Gadeyand Dawa Dolma's wedding, PadumValley, Yulang village.

2515-32: One of the groom's nyopas atTenzin Gadey and Dawa Dolma'swedding. He's clad in colourful traditionalclothes, adorned with a silver andturquoise necklace reliquary.August 2008,Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-33: In Tenzin Gadey family's house,his nyopas prepare for the departure tothe bride's village. Wearing sunglasses,the lorpen (« song master ») is theirleader. Expert in the the art of weddingsongs, even in the drunkest hours, Dorje,62 years old, has been invited to leadnyopas at numerous weddings since theage of 30.August 2008, Padum Valley,Yulang village.

2515-34: In Tenzin Gadey family's house,his nyopas prepare for the departure tothe bride's village. The youngest of them,the tashispa (« the auspicious »), blessesfood offerings with arrows. Sitting in theback, the groom (Tenzin), will have to waitat home the arrival of his bride.August2008, Padum Valley, Yulang village.

2515-35: In Tenzin Gadey family's house,his nyopas dance before the departure to

the bride's village.August 2008, PadumValley, Yulang village.

2515-36: In Tenzin Gadey family's house,his nyopas dance before the departure tothe bride's village. August 2008, PadumValley, Yulang village.

2515-37: During the long wedding ritual,the bride (Dawa) is assisted by girls of thesame village and age class, called theyatopas. They help her to endure the longwait, and prepare her to leave her villageand family. August 2008, Padum Valley,Langmig village.

2515-38: Clad in pricey silver andturquoise jewels, Dawa Dolma shed tearsbefore she leaves for Tenzin's village.During zanskari weddings, the bride loudlycries and whimpers to express her pain ofleaving friends and family.August 2008,Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-39: A guest at Dawa Dolma'swedding, deeply moved by her cries andabout to shed a tear himself.August 2008,Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-40: Old woman wearing perak, thetraditional hat made by Astrakan, and hergrand son. August 2001, Kumik village.

2515-41: The groom's nyopas drinking atthe bride's house. It's the second day ofthe wedding and, a few hours beforeDawa's departure, a dense crowd ofvillagers also visits the house to payrespect to her family. August 2008,Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-42: Second day of the wedding inthe bride's house. Visiting relatives andvillagers, mostly women with their childrenor grand-children, wait to be offeredchapatis (pancakes), tea and barley beer.

August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmigvillage.

2515-43: Weddings are the oportunity forthe women of the valley to gossip. August2001, Tarang village.

2515-44: Small girl in the crowd ofzanskagpa women with traditional caps,the peraks. The number of turquoises, inaddition to esthetics, makes it possible toshow the social standing of those whichcarry them.

2515-45: Traditional cap of the Zanskagpawomen: perak. In addition to esthetics, thenumber of turquoises which decorate theback of the cap attests social standing ofthe family.

2515-46: At the end of the second day,the crying bride (Dawa) is led by thetashispa to the horse that will take her toher husband's house. She is covered withauspicious offerings : banknotes and whitekhatas (ceremonial scarves).August 2008,Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-47: The dusk of the second day isthe emotional peak of the wedding :moaning and crying, the bride (Dawa) isabout to leave her village for herhusband's one. Friends and relatives towhom she says goodbye also shed tears.August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmigvillage.

2515-48: The dusk of the second day isthe emotional peak of the wedding :moaning and crying, the bride (Dawa) isabout to leave her village for herhusband's one. Friends and relatives towhom she says goodbye also shed tears.August 2008, Padum Valley, Langmigvillage.

2515-49: The second day at dusk, thecrying bride (Dawa) is taken away to herhusband's house. She is covered withauspicious offerings : banknotes and whitekhataks (ceremonial scarves). Friends andrelatives to whom she says goodbye alsoshed tears.August 2008, Padum Valley,Langmig village.

2515-50: The second day at dusk, thecrying bride (Dawa) is taken away to herhusband's house. She is covered withauspicious offerings : banknotes and whitekhataks (ceremonial scarves). Friends andrelatives to whom she says goodbye alsoshed tears.August 2008, Padum Valley,Langmig village.

2515-51: The second day at dusk, ridinghorses, the groom's nyopas escort Dawa(the bride) to her new house.August 2008,Padum Valley, between Langmig andYulang village.

2515-52: Almost entirely covered withwhite khataks (ceremonial scarves), Dawais taken to her new husband's house andvillage. The bride traditionnally seats atthe back of the tashispa's horse. August2008, Padum Valley, between Langmigand Yulang village.

2515-53: At full gallop, singing and yellingon their horses, the groom's nyopas takeDawa to her husband's village. August2008, Padum Valley, between Langmigand Yulang village.

2515-54: Second day, in the afternoon:two nyopas try to get some rest in front ofthe bride's house. Though they have tosing, dance and drink for sometimes morethan 48 h, the groom's nyopas are givenalmost no time for a nap. Sleeping wouldbe a disgrace. They usually end up stonedrunk and exhausted. August 2008,

Padum Valley, Langmig village.

2515-55: At the end of the party, this drunk man falls asleep in the pastures.August 2001, Padum.

2515-56: A young monk gets back his monastery. August 2001, Thondevillage.

2515-57: Riders approach the monastery of Karsha which overhangs theplain of Padum.

2515-58: Dawa's new family: one day after the ceremony, the bride poseswith her husband, his relatives, and the two kids she already had with himbefore. The couple was officially married in 2001, and since then has beenliving in Tenzin father's house (in the background). But it took them six yearsto find the time and funds to organize their « big wedding ». August 2008,Padum Valley, Yulang village.