"""In the process of being indoctrinated as a Himalayan Buddhist nun, an electric razor skims the scalp of each woman shortly before maroon robes are donned. \""""Hair is our most treasured jewel as a woman,\"""" confesses Jigme Yeshe Lhamo, one of the longest-serving nuns at Druk Gawa Khilwa Nunnery. \""""Our head is shaved though to break this deep attachment.\"""" In its place, the women search for internal purpose and satisfaction. Cycling from Kathmandu, Nepal to Ladakh, India over a period of three months they stopped at every remote village possible. \""""Sometimes we stayed in gurdwaras, sometimes we stayed in temples, and sometimes we stayed on Muslim ground near a Masjid,\"""" recalled Lhamo. When language became an obstacle, they went to journalists and media to communicate their messages on their behalf: \""""If we can ride bicycles, your daughters can farm,\"""" they would say. \""""They are worth keeping!\"""""""
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