Shepherd of the Himalayas

Sheep and shepherds are omnipresent in the Himalayas. You might think of your journey to remote parts of the Himalayas a great achievement, but you can be sure of finding a flock of sheep and a humble shepherd already camping there. These mountain men are as nimble footed and fearless like the sheep. That is a lot to say, considering that humans have to manage with two feet what the animals can with four.

We met this shepherd when we were traveling from Manali to Kaza. He had a warm, cordial smile. He didn’t seem perturbed when surrounded by a dozen photographers. His sheep were resting and we used the opportunity to take some portraits of them as well. The terrain was relatively flat. But when it was time for him to leave, all the sheep stood up and started walking towards a hillock. As you can see in this picture, they started walking in a particular direction even before he could show them the way. It is wonderful to see the harmony between man and animal in these parts. And though our meeting was short, I have pleasant memories of our encounter with this shepherd.

To read about my Spiti trip, click here.