Namkha

Ladakh—the "Land of High Passes" in the majestic trans-Himalayan ranges—is home to communities that live in harmony with the Mountains, Glaciers, Streams, Flora, Fauna, and all other elements of Nature. Their wisdom about these elements is passed down through generations via folk songs, folk tales, and proverbs.

Namkha (ནམ་མཁའ་, the sky) is also integral to their life and culture. This generational wisdom beautifully encapsulates knowledge of the motion, shape, color and other characteristics of stars, celestial bodies, and their relationship to humans and the surroundings. This knowledge is crucial for the nomadic way of life, farming, medicine and daily activities requiring navigation, timekeeping and astrology.

“ སྐར་མ་སྨིན་བདུན་ལན་ཆགས་ཅན་

བྱང་ན་ཤར་ཏེ་བྱང་ན་རྒས། ”

Through Namkha, we aim to collect and explore both the precious wisdom and new ways it is transmitted to younger generations, as well as how these communities view their connection to the untouched, pristine skies above them.

Sky in Songs

Explore stories and songs from Ladakh.

FAQ

What is Namkha ?

Through project, Namkha - The Wisdom of Sky, we are collecting the indigenous stories that connects Ladakh to the sky and exploring new methods to pass this on to the younger generations.

Why is it important?

Traditional methods of passing down knowledge—like storytelling and song—are vanishing in modern times. This means valuable wisdom is at risk of being lost forever with the older generation. Namkha is vital to preserve it before it disappears.

How can I contribute?

You can share your stories and folk songs with us or connect us to people who can. We are also exploring new ways this knowledge can be passed on and can be made relevant to modern life. We are open to collaborations.

Who can participate?

Anyone with a story to tell.

Is it free?

Yes, participation is completely free.