Butter Lamps of the Barkhor

A lot of maintenance goes into this enormous butter lamp room! As many lamps as possible must remain lit at all times, so there is a constant dance of filling the empty lamps with fresh butter, re-wicking the lamps, and re-lighting any unlit lamp. The job of butter-lamp maintainer is an honor for anyone. I only saw women doing this work at the many temples we visited. It is a beautifully surreal environment inside a butter lamp room, especially one of this size. The air is THICK with, not just the heavy, greasy smoke from all the burning butter, but THICK with heat as well! The smell and feel of the air within is a sensation I will not forget!