Invisibles #12 The Changpas

The Changpas The Changpa or Champa are a semi-nomadic Tibetan people found mainly in the Changtang in Ladakh and in Jammu and Kashmir. They are high altitude pastoralists, raising mainly yaks and goats. They rear the highly pedigreed and prized Changra goats (Capra Hircus) that yield the rare Pashmina (Cashmere)fibre. The Changra goats are not raised for their meat but for their fibre (pashm). The pashmina fibre(Pashm in Persian) is the finest fibre of all goat hair. Their conical yak-skin tents called reboo can identifythem. The Champa who live nomadic lives are known as Phalpa, while those who have settled down in fixed locations are called Fangpa.

From the series 'Invisibles' Lesser- known tribes of India Dimensions - 5184 x 3456 ( 300 DPI )