Sacred Sanctuary The Sakya Nunnery in Dehradun, India is a refuge for at-risk young women in Tibet and Nepal. Women and girls of many different backgrounds, ranging from age five to 40, have found their way to Sakya Nunnery often surviving grueling journeys out of the Himalayan region. With the Chinese government sharply hampering the religious lives of Buddhist nuns and monks and young women whose few opportunities often include the risk of abuse and sex-trafficking, the Sakya Nunnery is a safe haven indeed. The young nuns learn to read and write and are fed and clothed. When they reach the age of 18, they can decide if they want to continue the life of a nun. A nun striking a gong calls novices to morning prayers at 6:30 a.m.

Young novices doze during morning prayers.

The Sakya Nunnery in Dehradun, India is home to 230 nuns who in between daily prayers and study perform outreach in the neighboring community.

Nuns Lekshay Choekyi, 17, and Ngawang Tsedron, 5, eat noodles for dinner. Ngawang was brought to the nunnery from Nepal by her eldery grandmother.

Ngawang Norzin, 26, shaves the head of fellow nun Kunga Chodher, 24, in the courtyard of the nunnery.

Nuns live simply at the Sakya Nunnery in Dehradun, India. There are few toys and sporting equipment and nuns play in the courtyard with a ball made of a bunch of black rubber bands tied together.

Ngawang Pema, 13, drinks a cup of yak butter tea. Her parents brought her to the Sakya Nunnery in Dehradun, India from Nepal.

Young nuns live in dorm style rooms in groups of 10 at the Sakya Nunnery. They study between classes and prayers.

Seven year old nun, Tsering Metok, wears a pendant with the likeness of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The young nuns learn to read and write and are fed and clothed. When they reach the age of 18, they can decide if they want to continue the life of a nun.

Tibetan nuns line up with their bowls to receive dinner at the Sakya Nunnery in Dehradun, India.

Nuns play games in the evening before bed.