A Cluster of four hamlets sits quietly in the heart of the snow-capped Himalayas, about 130km northeast of Kargil in Ladakh. Called Dah, Hano, Garkon and Darchik, these secluded villages are home to a community of Dard people known as Drokpa (or Brokpa), who are recognised by their distinct features and attire — statuesque figures, green eyes, floral headdresses and fair complexion. For long, the community has claimed to be pure-bred Aryans, considering themselves the direct descendants of Alexander the Great's army, who stayed back after the Greek king abandoned his military campaign near the banks of the Indus in 326 BC.

Drokpa girls in Darchik village near Leh