Looking Up

So - after a fabulous walk around the temple (no photography allowed inside the main courtyard - had to put everything into the lockers next to the men with guns!) Very special pilgrimage site - the top sanctum of the main temple having silver doors, 'carved' into scenes from Shiva's life - truly beautifully realised - and the ongoing continual procession of blessees, offering prasaad and sitting in front of some of the most resplendent gods I've ever seen.
We hit the road - and found our way to 2758m high Kalpa - still in Kinaur - and totally Buddhist by comparison. Here we found anemometer-style prayer wheels and a village that, on balance, seemed to be falling down. Sadly many of the old style houses were abandoned - listing badly and being re-possessed by weeds - and mainly replaced with the modern concrete eyesores.
Temple complex on the top of the brow - facing snowcaps - with what seemed to be a newly restored animalist /animist temple (raunchy carving nearly made it!) - sitting below the main Gompa (Tibetan temple).
The photo is taken in the central court of this main Gompa, ringed by 3 layers of prayer wheels. The pillars & ceiling, being as highly decorated as the main 'altar' - made a fine picture without an distended earlobe in sight.