Child monks in the Indian Himalayas

Most Tibetan families in India send at least one child to a monastery to learn about their own culture, language and religion

Young monks take a break from their studies inside Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh, India (Reuters)

High in the Indian Himalayas, young novice monks in maroon robes take their lessons inside the 15th-century Thiksey monastery.

Buddhist monasteries in the mountain desert, which forms a part of troubled Jammu and Kashmir state and borders both China and Pakistan, are a reminder of the region's ties to its eastern neighbour, Tibet.

Ethnic Tibetans fled across the border after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 and live in so-called “Little Tibets” in north and south India.

Most Tibetan families in India send at least one child to a monastery to learn about their own culture, language and religion.