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Journey Through The Elements of Himalayan Style
Journey Through The Elements of Himalayan Style
In the book, Himalayan Style, photographer Thomas L. Kelly and author Claire Burkert take readers on a journey through the regions of Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and India. Through stunning images and stories of history and lore, explore the stupas, chaityas, and flags, the dzongs, monasteries, and temples of this breathtaking region. Here, we take a peek inside the book that uses architecture and design to capture the spirit of a region. In this image, a field of whitewashed chortens sit below the Shey Palace in Ladakh, India.
Dolma Lhakhang
The interior of Dolma Lhakhang in the Spituk Monastery, in Leh, India. The cabinet along the left wall contains 21 statues of Dolma (Tara) brought by the Dalai Lama from Tibet. The room exhibits elements of typical Tibetan style. A short curtain is painted on the wall below the ceiling and stripes of blue, red and green make a border on the wall and around the door. Brackets and cross beams are intensely painted. A couch for a high lama faces a finely carved table. Small painted chests and cupboards are used throughout the room.
Patan Artisans
Bishwo Rathur, pictured here in his small workshop making wax models for casting, is one of the Patan artisans who continues the statue-making traditions in Patan.
Patan Durbar Square
A traditional Newar brick building with carved wooden windows faces the Patan Durbar Square. The rooms on the ground floor have been converted to shops for handicrafts and a top floor was added later.
Shey Palace
The fortress wall at Shey, Ladakh, in India, dates to the 15th century. Beyond it lies the recently restored 17th-century Shey Palace complex that includes an imposing stupa with gilded spire.
Patan Museum
This is the main courtyard of the Patan Museum, into which the visitor enters from the Durbar Square. Within the courtyard is a small domed shrine to Vishnu. The museum’s external walkway is formed by a balcony with struts supporting the roof.
The Great Illuminator
Monks circumambulate the dome of the Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal, where oil lights glow in low niches. The eyes of Vairocana, the Great Illuminator, look out from the harmika above.