Monk heading to Grammys

In an isolated Himalayan monastery in India’s remote northeast, 150 maroon-robed Buddhist monks have been chanting and praying for something a little offbeat -- a Grammy.

One of their own, Lama Tashi, left Thursday for Los Angeles to attend the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards ceremony in which he has been nominated in the best traditional world music album category.

“The nomination came as a surprise and I feel lucky,” Tashi, 38, said before boarding a flight from Gauhati, the region’s largest city.

“I’m hopeful of winning the Grammy, but not tense,” said Tashi, whose album “Tibetan Master Chants” is a collection of 12 songs dedicated to Buddhist themes including purification, enlightenment, wisdom, healing and compassion.

Tashi’s album is the first solo album by a Buddhist monk to win a Grammy nomination.