Guwahati, May 17 -- Durga Rana Magar

MANANG, Nepal - In Bhakra village of western Nepal's Manang district, 72-year-old Buddhist nun Tashi Lama sits in silence, chanting as she turns her prayer wheel. Ever since she took her vows at 25, her mornings begin with prayers and the lighting ofsang, a sacred incense made from dried branches and leaves of black juniper (Juniperus indica) and wild wormwood (titepati) among others.

"Lighting sang purifies our environment. It's something we do every day, wishing that peace prevails in the world," Lama told Mongabay. "Its cedar-like scent evokes calm and hope."

Like Lama, thousands of Buddhists in Nepal's Trans-Himalayan regions such as Manang and Mustang, and those with roots to the area residing ...