The Last Aryans of Ladakh

This series documents my visit to and interaction with the people from the Aryan villages of Ladakh, in India. The people of this region claim to be the last of the pure-blood Aryans. Their ancestors were part of Alexander's army which decided to stay back in India. The community is spread over 4 villages; namely Dah, Hanu, Darchik and Garkon, and the Aryans mostly marry into families within these four villages. Traditionaly, their clothes are made of wool and they adorn themselves with silver jewellery (worn by both men and women). Their attire also consists of an elaborate head gear decorated with artificial flowers. Most of them now follow Buddhism, though they still practice many of the ancient Aryan customs. The people of this region have, for a long time now, been an important part of both anthropological research and cultural studies, conducted by both Indian and Western Universities