he Lepcha community, in the state of Sikkim, pray every year to the world's third highest mountain, Kanchenjunga.
However, their 83-year-old priest, Samdup Taso, who used to conduct the elaborate ceremony, died last week leaving no anointed successor.
The Lepcha regard Kanchenjunga as their guardian deity.
They believe their earliest ancestors were created from the snows on the summit of the peak, which towers over their homeland.
Around 50,000 members of the Lepcha tribe live in the tiny Indian state of Sikkim, which lies in the heart of the Himalayas between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.
Although many have converted to Buddhism and Christianity, they still follow some of their traditional rituals.
The Lepcha have been praying to Kanchenjunga for hundreds of years, with the ceremony always led by descendents of their original priest.
However, Samdup Taso's son decided not to follow his father's profession, and there is no sign of any other family member stepping forward to take on the role.
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