Kailash #75

Mount Kailash, a 6,656 meter peak in western Tibet, is worshiped as a holy place in four different religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon, the indigenous religion of Tibet. Izu shot this photograph along the pilgrimage route to the mountain , camping out for two days at the place where the north face of Kailash can be seen beyond the numerous snow-covered Mani stones left by passing pilgrims. Izu traveled with a custom-made 300-pound camera to expose specially made 13x19 inch negatives, printing the image directly on watercolor paper of the same dimensions; he then finishes the work with a hand-brushed coating of palladium/ platinum . Izu's photographic journey through the Himalayas builds on his career-long travels through sacred sites and ancient monuments, begun in Egypt in 1979 and taking him to Syria , Jordan , England, Scotland , Mexico , and Easter Island, as well as across Asia.