Where Heaven and Mountains Meet: Zanskar and the Himalayas [Hardcover]

Olivier Follmi (Author), Rapkar Wangchuk (Illustrator), Jane Brenton (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999

Deep in the heart of the Himalayas, in remote valleys isolated from the outside world by snow for nine months of the year, the ancient kingdom of Zanskar seems light years away from modern existence. Olivier Follmi has made numerous trip to Zanskar over a 20-year period. The results of his travels are recorded in this volume, which contains photographs of the extraordinary landscape and portraits of its people, providing an insight into an existence that is now changing as contact with the modern world increases. In complement to the photographs, delicate watercolours by Rapkar Wangchuk seek to recreate the quintessential images of Tibetan Buddhism. A commentary tells the story of the author's fascination with Zanskar and records the rites and customs of an exceptional people in a Buddhist land where religion and its observance define a way of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Zanskar is a small dependency of about 10,000 people in a remote high-mountain valley area on the eastern side of the Indian state of Kashmir. Its peoples are mostly followers of Tibetan Buddhism. Isolated by high mountains, until recently it had little contact with the outside world. F?llmi is a French photographer who became attracted to the area in the 1980s and over the years has made several visits there to photograph and write about it. The book is primarily visual, with his striking photographs and some traditional border decorations by Rapkar Wangchuk; the limited text focuses on F?llmi's travels and sponsorship of two children for education abroad. While he introduces the conflicts the outside world is bringing to Zanskar, he doesn't probe deeply into them. Still, this is a beautiful book on a little-known area and a rapidly changing way of life. Recommended for larger and better-funded public libraries with strong interests in the Indian subcontinent.
-Harold M. Otness, Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Danielle and Olivier Follmi are the founders of HOPE (Himalayan Organization for People and Education), which supports educational projects in the Himalayas. Olivier Follmi published an earlier collection of photographs of the region, entitled Zanskar (1989).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; First edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500019541
• ISBN-13: 978-0500019542
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 10.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,499,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars evocative photos and Tibetan artwork, November 27, 2011

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sally tarbox (aylesbury bucks uk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Heaven and Mountains Meet: Zanskar and the Himalayas (Hardcover)

Fascinating work by a photographer who has made many trips to Zanskar. His pictures show the people, the temples and the landscape and emphasize just how harsh the climate really is. In the accompanying text he describes the experiences of he and his wife living with the local people. Interspersed with this are wonderful Buddhist watercolors by a Tibetan artist