Interior of Techa Gompa Prayer Room, near Umlung Village, Markha Valley, Ladakh

My guide, Sonam Gyalson, says a prayer. Hidden over his shoulder is an object covered with red fabric you can see in the next photo File:Dragon Chest (49007785892).jpg.

Buddhism in Ladakh has flourished for more than two millennia, with the early Buddhist influence coming from India as evidenced from the early monasteries of Alchi and Mulbek, with their distinctive Indian architecture. Guru Padmasambhava, considered to be the pioneer of Tibetan Buddhism, introduced the Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century and Ladakh came firmly under the Tibetan Buddhist influence in the 14th century. Today, each monastery in Ladakh belongs to a specific sector and follows a definite tradition while co-existing with all other sectors.

The Buddhist Way. (2018). [museum display board]. Leh, Ladakh, India: Hall of Fame.