About Ladakh

Ladakh is a high altitude mountainous region bounded by the Karakoram Range from the north and the Great Himalayas from the south. It is a land that abounds in awesome physical features set in an enormous and spectacular environment. Often described as ‘Moonland’ on account of the unique lunar landscape, Ladakh was an independent mountain kingdom for close to a millennium. Leh, the royal capital, was a major crossroads of Asia and a stopping point on the ancient migration routes of the trans-Himalayas, connecting Central Asia with the Indian sub-continent. From here, the old caravan routes led westward through Kashmir to the Silk roads, northward across the Karakorum Pass to Central Asia, eastward across the Chang-thang highlands to Tibet and China, and southward through present-day Himachal Pradesh to the plains of India.

Many migrants have traveled through the region, some settling on the way, giving a distinctive characteristic to its population - from the west, early Dard settlers and later-day invaders from Baltistan; from the east, Tibetan settlers, invaders and rulers; from the north, traders from Yarkand; and much later, Dogra conquerors from Jammu in the south.

The people who settled here established Ladakh’s centuries-old religious and cultural heritage: the shamanistic Bon-po with roots across the Tien Shen to Southern Siberia’s Attai mountains, and later, Buddhists from Kashmir some five centuries before Buddhism reached Tibet. The 16th century saw the introduction of Islam to the region and 19th century Moravian missionaries brought Christianity.

For centuries, Silk Road caravans and devoted pilgrims passed through this crossroads, endowing the region with a convergence of religious and artistic traditions, which find expression in its monuments, monasteries, festivals, cultural traditions and in the lifestyle of the people. Shielded by the high mountain ramparts, Ladakh remains an unspoiled enclave of Tibetan Buddhism to date.

During the course of its history as an independent kingdom, Ladakh became recognized as the best trade route between India and Central Asia. For centuries it was traversed by caravans carrying textiles, spices, raw silk, carpets, dyestuffs, narcotics etc. On this long route, Leh was the midway stop, and developed into a bustling entrepot, its bazaars thronging with merchants from distant countries. In 1834 AD, Gulab Singh, the ruler of Jammu sent his general Zorawar Singh to invade Ladakh and gain control of this strategic region in the heart of Asia. As a result of this conquest, Ladakh was incorporated, together with neighbouring Baltistan, into the newly created Kingdom of Jammu & Kashmir. Just over a century later, the partition of India saw Baltistan becoming part of Pakistan, while Ladakh remained in India as part of the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

Land of Festivals: In Ladakh, cultural traditions and ancestral customs are kept alive and vibrant through various festivals and celebrations, both religious and secular. Here, every occasion - marriage, birth, farming and harvesting, even the flowering of plants is celebrated with great fanfare, marked with feasting, dancing and singing of folk songs that form part of its rich culture. In summer, most villages hold archery festivals and thanksgiving events, while winter is the period in which most of the religious festivals and social and cultural events are held.

The festivals held in the monasteries are the ones with which Ladakh is famously associated. Almost all the major Buddhist monasteries hold annual festivals, mostly in winter. These take the form of dance-dramas performed by Lamas, attired in colourful robes and wearing fearsome masks. The most famous festival is that of Hemis which is held in early summer and is dedicated to Padmasambhava, founder of Tibetan Vjarayana Buddhism. Every 12th year, a huge Thangka of the saint is ritually exhibited during this festival. Other monasteries, which have summer festivals, are Lamayuru, Phyang, Takthok and Karsha in Zanskar. The monasteries of Spituk, Stok, Thiksey, Chemrey and Matho have their festivals in winter between November and March. Likir and Deskit (Nubra) hold their annual festivals coinciding with Leh Dosmochhe which is held in late February and is one of two New Year festivals, the other being Losar, which falls around the time of the winter solstice.

The core event of the monastic festival is a ritual dance-drama known as ‘Chhams. These are choreographed by the mystic dance master or Chham-spon strictly as per the guidelines described in the dance books (Chhams-yig). The chhams is performed mainly as ritual offerings to the tutelary deities of the monastery and its guardian divinities by selected lamas of the concerned monastery, who are trained as per the codified rituals. They wear elaborate brocade robes and masks representing various divinities. As the ‘Chhams’ approaches its end on the last day of the festival, the climactic scene is enacted in which a grotesque human figure made from dough, is ritually cut into pieces and scattered in the four cardinal directions. This figure symbolizes the embodiment of the three cardinal evils in the human soul viz. ignorance, jealousy and hatred.

The monastic festivals also provide the local people an opportunity for socializing, trading and entertainment. On this occasion, makeshift markets spring up overnight near the monastery to which people throng. For the more devoted villagers, however, the event is essentially a pilgrimage to the monastery and its various temples, for it is during this period only that they can see all the images and figures, which are otherwise kept veiled.

Sightseeing: Leh Town (3505 mtrs.), has many historic monuments, starting from the nine-storey Leh Palace built by King Singe Namgyal in the 17th century on the hill overlooking the town. Higher up the hill called Namyal Tsemo, are the ruins of the earliest royal residence dating from 16th century which also houses the equally old Tsemo Gompa. Below, in the bazaar, the main sites are the newly built Jo-Khang, and the 17th century Jama Mosque.

For long a bustling crossroads of the migration & trade routes, Leh town is by itself a sightseeing attraction. Strolling along its lanes and by-lanes, observing the crowd and looking into the curio shops is an engaging experience. A particularly interesting sight is the line of women from nearby villages sitting along the kerb with baskets of fresh vegetables brought for sale. Behind the main bazaar, Nau Shehar has interesting little shops selling curios and jewellery. Further on are the labyrinthine alleyways of the old town, clustering around the foot of the Palace Hill. In the other direction, down the bazaar, are the Tibetan markets where one can bargain for pearls, turquoise, coral, lapis lazuli and many other kinds of semi-precious stones and jewellery, as well as carved yak-horn boxes, quaint brass locks, china or metal bowls, or any of a whole array of curios. Many handicraft show rooms stock local handicrafts such as hand made carpets, woolen shawls, dragon paintings, thangkas, lacquered tea-tables, etc., all ideal picking as souvenirs. When tired of strolling, one can step into any of the several restaurants, some of them located in gardens or on the sidewalks and serve local, Tibetan, Indian and Continental cuisine.

One can walk away from the bazaar, past Zangsti and the Moravian Church to the Ladakh Ecological Centre and appreciate the works being done by this NGO in applying folk technology to meet the demands of modern life in Ladakh. From here a footpath across the fields leads to Sankar Gompa, half an hour’s walk away. Or one can leave the main road from the head of the bazaar and turn off to Changspa, an attractive suburb of Leh, lying below the hill on which stands the imposing Shanti Stupa, which can be approached by a road. The Fort Road is yet another popular part of the town, leading to Skara, a pretty and prosperous suburb of Leh town, now boasting some very attractive hotels, including the Caravan Hotel.

Monuments: The Indus valley from Upshi down to Khalatse is dotted with all the major sites connected with the former kingdom's dynastic history, starting with Leh, the capital since the early 17th century.

About 12 kilometers up the Indus is Shey Palace, the most ancient capital, with its palace and temples. Down river is Basgo Castle , right on the road, and Tingmosgang, a short distance up a side-valley, both served as royal capitals when the Old Kingdom was temporarily divided into two parts in the 15th century. Both these places have the remains of forts and temples dating from the period of their brief glory. Just across the river from Leh is Stok, the village which was granted to the deposed royal family in lieu of the Leh throne. Stok Palace, where the royal family now lives, houses a museum of artifacts associated with the Namgyal dynasty.

Monasteries: There are about 35 Buddhist monasteries or Gompas spread across the entire region. The central area of Ladakh has the greatest concentration of major Gompas. Of the 13 major monasteries situated on or near the Indus, the oldest is that of Lamayuru, which is believed to have been a sacred site for the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. The monasteries of Phyang, Hemis and Chemrey were all founded under the direct patronage of members of the ruling Namgyal dynasty. Hemis monastery, together with that of Hanle was established at the instance of King Singge Namgyal, while his widow founded Chemrey as a posthumous act of merit for him. Stakna, dating from a slightly earlier period, was endowed by the Namgyal Kings at various times. All these belong to the Red Hat (Kargyu-pa) sect of Tibetan Monastic Order.

The reformist Gelugs-pa, or Yellow-Hat sect, is well represented in central Ladakh in the monsteries of Thiksey, Likir and Ri-dzong besides that of Spituk, and its branch monsteries at Stok, Sabu and Sankar. Ri-dzong, situated up a side-valley from Uley-Tokpo, was founded just about a century and half ago by a devout layman-turned-lama, with the purpose of following the strict monastic rules of the Gelugs-pa sect.

Tak-thok and Matho Gompas represent the smaller but much older Nying-ma-pa and Saskya-pa monastic sects respectively. Tak-thok, situated at the foot of the Chang-la pass, incorporates one of the many caves in the Himalayas where the Indian Buddhist apostle Padmasambhava is said to have rested and meditated on his journey to Tibet. Matho Gompa is famous for its festival of the oracles, which is held usually in March.

Among Ladakh's monastic foundations Alchi holds pride of the place as a repository of a millennium old art heritage. Known as Chos-kor, or religious enclave, it comprises five temples, the richest in paintings and images being the Du-khang (assembly hall) and the three-storey Sum-tsek. The murals dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, pre-date the Tibetan style of painting seen in all the other Gompas of the region. Some of them are presumed to be among the sole survivors of the Buddhist style prevailing in Kashmir during the first millennium AD.

The Ladakh monasteries are repositories of exquisite murals, gilded statues, religious icons, carvings, scrolls etc. built up through the ages. They remain alive with the devotions of monks, young and old. Here it is possible to receive a lama's blessing, consult an astrologer about your future, hear the wail of a horn echoing from the mountain walls, and witness a lifestyle passed down intact through the ages.

Note for visitors to monasteries: The monasteries are the fountainhead of Buddhist religion and culture of Ladakh. Visitors are advised to respect their sanctity and appreciate their heritage importance. Shoes may have to be removed before entering some of the temples, while ladies are not allowed to enter the Gon-Khang or the room dedicated to the guardian divinities. Smoking, loud action and improper dress may disturb the tranquil ambience characteristic of such places of worship and therefore unwelcome. Most of the region’s major monasteries are open throughout the day and a caretaker Lama is available to show visitors around. Some of the less visited establishments have special opening hours as in the case of the Namgyal Tsemo, Shey Palace etc. Check the timings before proceeding to these places.

Nubra Valley: North of Leh is the Nubra Valley (alt: 2800 mtrs.) nestling along the foothills of the Great Karakoram range and drained by the rivers Nubra and Shayok. The road to Nubra runs across Khardung-la (18,300 ft./5578 M), the highest motorable road in the world. Prominent places to visit here include the capital town of Deskit (118 kms) and, just across the rolling sand dunes, Hundar (125 kms.) which has a small population of double-humped Bactrian camels, a legacy from the Central Asian trade caravans that passed through the valley. North of Deskit, the road leads into the valley of the Nubra River where Sumur (115 kms.) with its picturesque hillside monastery of Samstaling is the main attraction. Further up the valley is Panamik (140 kms.) famous for the hot springs, used as a traditional spa by throngs of local people for curing various ailments to good effect.

Dah-Hanu: Down the Indus, between Khalatse and the Shayok-Indus confluence, live a people, known as Drok-pa, who are Buddhists by faith, but racially and culturally distinct from the rest of the Ladakhis. Two of the five villages inhabited by them, Dah and Biama are now open to foreign tourists. The approach to this area follows the Indus down from Khalatse, past the villages of Domkhar, Skurbuchan and Achinathang, along a fairly good road.

The Drok-pa constitutes a small community of Indo-Aryan tribals, who appear to have preserved their racial purity down the centuries. Their culture and religious practices are more like those of the pre-Buddhist animist religion of the Tibetan Plateau, known as Bon-chos. They have preserved the saga of their ancient traditions and way of life partly through the celebration of the triennial Bono-na festival, and partly through the songs and hymns. Their language is derived from archaic Shina, a language still spoken in Gilgit, and by the Shin immigrants now settled in Drass.

Pangong Lake: Pangong Lake, situated at an altitude of 14,500 ft / 4,267m (145 kms. from Leh) is a long narrow basin of inland drainage, about 6 to 7 kilometers at its widest point, and over 130 kms long, bisected by the international border between India and China. It presents spectacular views of the Chang-chenmo range to the north. Spangmik and a scattering of other tiny villages along the lake's southern shore are the summer homes of a scanty population of nomadic Chang-pa herdsmen. They cultivate sparse crops of barley and peas in summer. But in winter they unfold their yak wool tents called rebo, and take the flocks of sheep and pashmina goats out to the distant pastures.

The approach to Pangong Lake is across the Chang-la pass (18,000 ft / 5,475 m) which is the third highest motorable pass of the world. Tangtse, just beyond the foot of the pass, with guest houses, camping sites and other transit amenities is a convenient halting point on this circuit.

Tso-Moriri Lake Circuit: The area traversed by the Manali-Leh road, containing lake Tsomo-riri and other lakes, is a desolate and extensive region known as Rupshu. It is a landscape quite unlike any other in Ladakh, or elsewhere in India. This area is now open for tourists for visiting along two specified tour circuits Tso-moriri is the most prominent lake of this region. The lakes are breeding grounds for numerous species of birds. Chief among them is the bar-headed goose, found in great numbers on the Tso-moriri, the great crested grebe, the Brahmini duck and the brown-headed gull.

The first tour circuit follows the Manali road over the Taglang-la upto Debring, a Changpa camping place. From here it turns eastward on a rough track along the twin lakes Startsapuk-Tso and the Tso-kar, crosses the Polokongka-la (about 16,500 ft /5,030 m) and descends to Puga valley at Sumdo , then over to the head of Lake Tso-moriri.

The other route into the area follows the the Indus to the village of Chumathang, where there is a hot spring. At Mahe, about 17 km further ahead, the road crosses from the north to the south bank of the river and then follows the Puga stream to join and follow the first circuit to Tsomo-riri via Sumdo.

Korzok, situated at 15,000 ft / 4,572 m (approx. 240 kms) with its dozen or so houses and its gompa, is the only permanent settlement in Rupshu, which is otherwise inhabited only by nomadic Chang-pa herdsmen, who live in yak wool tents (rebo) all the year round, moving between the pastures that exist in the region. The few barley-fields at Korzok must be among the highest cultivation in the world. The lakes of Rupsho are breeding grounds for numerous species of birds.

Adventure Tourism: Ladakh offers many challenging options for adventure tourism. Trekking is the main activity and is done during June through September. The 10-day Markha Valley trek is the most popular, while the 20-day trek from Lamayuru to Darcha (HP) via the Zanskar Valley is the longest and involves crossing of several major mountain ranges including the Zanskar and the Great Himalaya. Many other trekking options are available to suite various time-frames and degree of challenge. The most challenging and unique of these is the week-long winter trek between Leh & Zanskar along the Chaddar formed as a result of the freezing of the Zanskar River.

River Rafting options are aplenty in Ladakh. The Indus is the most popular river for this activity. For the amateur tourist, the stretch of the Indus between Phey and Nimo offers a day of scenic floating amidst beautiful landscape and rural scenery. The other day-long rafting option is available on the Zanskar River between Chilling & Nimo, which is a little more difficult than the Indus stretch. For longer white water expeditions, River Zanskar provides a week-long rafting option of great challenge between Padum & Nimo, comparable to the Colorado River as it flows through the Gand Canyon.

Mountaineering is another activity for which Ladakh is very popular. The most popular peaks are those of the Nun-Kun (7135 mtrs.) massif situated in the Suru Valley (90-110 Kms. ex- Kargil). The base camps are easily accessible by road from Kargil. In the Leh, the nearest peaks are in the Stok Khangri massif (6150 mtrs.), which has 5 known peaks. Mountaineering in Ladakh calls for organized expeditions with proper clearance from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF), New Delhi.

The Ladakh Environment: Ladakh has a fragile eco-system which sustains, besides the sparse population, some rare fauna and flora which are especially adapted to the peculiar environment. This is aptly described in the document brought out by the WWF (India) under the title “Saving a prized gift” which reads as under:

“For long years, the region had remained relatively isolated and untouched by developments in the world beyond. A unique genetic pool has evolved in the region, specially adapted to the harsh environment. The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 recognizes most of the species found in the region as endangered.”

Among Ladakh’s most important fauna are the: Bactrian Camel, Brown Bear, Ladakhi Urial, Lynx, Red Fox, Siberian Ibex, Snow Leopard, Tibetan Antelope, Tibetan Argali, Tibetan Gazelle, Tibetan Wild Ass, Tibetan Wolf, Wild Dog, and the Wild Yak.

And among its indigenous and visiting wetlands birds are the endangered Black-necked Crane and Bar-headed Goose, and the Ruddy Shelduck, Gargeny, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveller, Eurasian Pigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, and Red-Crested Pochard. Other birds found in the area are: the Golden Eagle, Himalayan Snowcock, Lammergeler, Osprey, Snow Partridge, Sparrow Hawk, Steppe Eagle and the Tibetan Sand Grouse.

And far too many to mention by name are the more than 500 wild medicinal plants - many rare species - used by traditional Ladakhi and Tibetan medical practitioners (Amchi) and in demand by today’s pharmaceutical companies.

The Ladakh environment deservers your special care and consideration so that this fragile eco-system is not disturbed to the disadvantage of its unique and endangered wild-life. The following steps are especially recommended to be followed in this regard:-

• Do not permit your car drivers to drive off in wildlife areas, particularly on the Chang-thang plateau;

• Do not walk off the main trekking routes ;
  
• Do not throw any rubbish including clothes, metals pieces, paper and plastics in any safari/trekking area, nor permitting your safari/trekking staff to do so;
  
• Do not throw any waste in animal burrows (e.g. marmot), or in any waterways.
  
• Do not camp along lake-sides and marshlands as the tourist season coincides with the breeding season of migratory birds;
  
• Do not approach, or photograph nesting birds from close distance. Use only long-focal length (telephoto) lenses for photography of such birds, and your camera flash must be turned off!