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.