Michael Benanav has traveled around much of the world, chronicling in words and pictures nomadic communities from Mali, to Jordan to Mongolia. But when the photographer heard about the Van Gujjar tribe of Northern India, he knew he wanted to do more than just document their existence. He wanted to join them on a migration to better understand their nomadic way of life and culture.
Images from Michael Benanav's journey with the Van Gujjars of Northern India.
1
Though they are Muslim, Van Gujjar women never veil their faces - except on their wedding day.
2
Sharafat dries off after a swim in the Yamuna River.
3
Four-year-old Karim, getting his milk straight from the source.
4
A buffalo yearling with a broken leg is carried over a Himalayan pass to the meadow where the family will spend the summer. Everyone hopes the leg will heal, so the buffalo will be able to walk down to the lowlands in autumn.