Reindeer Lichen Carpet on Bihar Tundra Rocks

Soft, diffused light from a monsoon sky washes over a wide valley floor in Bihar where gray rocks lie scattered across the earth. Patches of pale, antler-like reindeer lichen blanket the uneven stone surfaces in intricate, textured mats. The surrounding ground is damp and dark, dotted with sparse green vegetation. Leaves skitter across the rocky foreground in gusts of wind, their motion frozen as a blur against the stillness of the lichen. The horizon stretches far into the distance, where mist rests on the low hills. The rough, craggy edges of the rocks contrast with the soft, fuzzy growth clinging to their tops. One cluster of lichen hangs precariously over a jagged stone corner.