Buddhist monks at Boudhanath – Nepal

The massive Boudahnath Stupa in Kathmandu (Nepal) is one of the largest in the world and a major pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists.

The stupa is surrounded by over a half dozen monasteries and handicraft shops, so you can easily spend a half day wandering around the complex and watching daily life unfold.

It is in the prayer hall of one of the monasteries that I came across this scene. I intentionally chose the widest aperture allowed by my zoom lens, both to make up for the dim light and to decrease the depth of field so as to bring the focal point on the group of monks. I quite like the moment I captured, with the monk looking at my camera and smiling.

Sadly, Boudhanath stupa suffered extensive damage in last year’s earthquake (if you missed it, you can read here about my trip to Nepal prior to the earthquake), but restoration works have been under way for months now. Hopefully this impressive landmark will soon be brought back to its former glory.