At various times in the past Ladakh has been politically part
of western Tibet and this influence is still prominent today
throughout most of the region.
Ladakh comprises three main regions. The first is Leh & Upper
Indus Valley. This is the cultural heartland of Ladakh where
many monasteries and palaces reflect the deep Buddhist
heritage of the region. Leh has been the center of
Tibetan-Buddhist culture since ages. The Zanskar Valley is the
second region. It's a comparatively isolated valley to the
south of Indus Valley and its high culture is also Buddhism.
The third main region of Ladakh includes Kargil & Suru Valley,
west of Leh down the Indus Valley. It supports an Islamic
culture that can be traced back to the 15th century.
Ladakh has also been known for some of its best hiking locale
in the country. Trekking in Ladakh is very different from
hiking in the west as the trails are the lifeline between
villages. Its a high altitude desert plateau, which is
situated between 2500 & 5000 mts. of altitude, the highest
summit reaching over 7000 mts., which would be a delight for
the trekkers. Ladakh's colorful gompas have attracted people
from all over the globe. Ladakh is one of the most rugged
regions of the entire Himalayan range and is often referred to
as a Trans-Himalayan zone because of its position between the
Great Himalayan Range and the vast Tibetan plateau.
LADAKH is the highest, most remote and least populated region
in the whole country. It has become a popular destination for
aficionados of wild mountains and unique culture.
Ladakh Info:
Largest city : Leh 34.14° N 77.55° E
Main languages Ladakhi, Urdu
Area : 45,110 km² [2]
Population : (2001 Sensus) 200,000
Density 3/km² [3]
Ladakh ( Hindi: लद्दाख़, Urdu: لدّاخ; )
a word which means "land of high passes", is a region in the
state of Jammu and Kashmir of Northern India sandwiched
between the Karakoram mountain range to the north and the
Himalayas to the south.
It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in India.
Historically, the region included the Indus Valley, the remote
Zanskar to the south, and Nubra valleys to the north over
Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range. Ladakh borders Tibet
to the east, the Lahul and Spiti to the south, Kashmir to the
west, and Central Asia to the north.
Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist
culture which was established as early as the 2nd century.
This has given rise to the appellation "Little Tibet", as it
has strongly been influenced by the culture of Tibet.
Geography: Geography of Ladakh
Ladakh is India’s highest plateau (much of it being over 3,000
m), spanning the
Himalayan and
Karakoram mountain ranges and
the upper Indus River valley. Historic Ladakh consists of a
number of distinct areas, including the fairly populous main
Indus valley, the more remote Zanskar (in the south) and
Nubra
valleys (to the north over Khardung La ), the almost deserted
Aksai Chin (under Chinese rule) and Kargil and Suru Valley
areas in the west (Kargil being the second most important town
in Ladakh). Before partition, Baltistan (now under Pakistani
rule) was one of the districts of Ladakh. Skardu was the
winter capital of Ladakh while Leh was the summer capital.
The mountain ranges in this region were formed over a period
of 45 million years by the folding of the Indian plate into
the stationary landmass of Asia. The drift continues and
causing frequent earthquakes in the Himalayan region.. The
peaks in the Ladakh range are at a medium altitude close to
the Zoji-la (5,000-5,500 metres, 16,000 - 18,050 ft), and
increase towards south-east, reaching a climax in the twin
summits of Nun-Kun (7000 m, 23,000 ft).
The Suru and Zanskar valleys form a great trough enclosed by
the Himalayas
and the Zanskar range.
Rangdum is the last
inhabited region in the Suru valley. From Rangdum the valley
rises to 4,400 metres (14,436 ft) at Pensi-la, the gateway
into Zanskar. Kargil, the only town in the Suru valley, was an
important staging post on the routes of the trade caravans
before 1947, being more or less equidistant, at about 230
kilometres from Srinagar, Leh, Skardu, and Padum.
The Khardung-la pass, believed to be the highest motorable
pass in the world at 5,602 m or 18,380 ft)
The Zanskar valley lies in the troughs of the Stod and the
Lungnak rivers. The region suffers heavy snowfall, and the
Pensi-la opens only in June, and is blocked again in
mid-October. The Indus River is the backbone of Ladakh — all
major towns historically and currently, Shey, Leh, Basgo, and
Tingmosgang, are situated close to the river.
The Ladakh range has no major peaks; its average height is a
little less than 6,000 metres (19,700 ft), and few of its
passes are less than 5,000 metres (16,400 ft). The Pang-gong
range runs parallel to the Ladakh range about 100 km northwest
from Chushul, along the southern shore of the Pang-gong Lake
Its highest range is 6,700 metres (22,000 ft), and the
northern slopes are heavily glaciated.
The region comprising the valley of Shayok and Nubra rivers is
known as Nubra. The Karakoram range in Ladakh is not as mighty
as in Baltistan. North of the Karakoram lies the Kunlun.
Thus, between Leh and eastern Central Asia, there is a triple
barrier — Ladakh range, Karakoram range, and Kunlun.
Nevertheless, a major trade route was established between Leh
and Yarkand.
Ladakh is a high altitude
desert, because the Himalayas create
a rain shadow, denying entry to monsoon clouds. The main
source of water is the winter snowfall on the mountains.
Recent flooding of the Indus river in the region has been
attributed either to abnormal rain patterns, or the retreating
of glaciers, both of which might be linked to global
warming. The regions on the north flank of the Himalayas — Dras, the Suru valley and Zanskar — experience heavy snowfall
and remain virtually cut off from the rest of the country for
several months in the year. Summers are short, although long
enough to grow crops in the lower reaches of the Suru valley.
The summer weather is dry and pleasant, with average
temperatures between 10–20 °C (50–70 °F), while in winter, the
temperature may dip to around −15 °C (5 °F). The proportion of
oxygen is less than in many other places at a comparable
altitude because of lack of vegetation. There is little
moisture to temper the effects of rarified air.
Flora and fauna
The wildlife of this region was first studied by Ferdinand
Stoliczka, an Austrian / Czech palaeontologist, who carried out
a massive expedition in the region in the 1870s. There are
hardly any trees and vegetation in sight in much of Ladakh,
except for the few narrow valleys, where wild roses, willow
groves and some herbs could be seen. However, above that, due
to the rapid decrease in temperature, vegetation becomes
stunted and sparse. The fauna of Ladakh have much in common
with that of Central Asia generally, and especially those of
the Tibetan Plateau. An exception to this are the birds, many
of which migrate from the warmer parts of India to spend the
summer in Ladakh. For such an arid area, Ladakh has a great
diversity of birds — a total of 225 species have been
recorded.
Many species of finches, robins, redstarts (like the Black
Redstart) and the Hoopoe are common in summer. The
Brown-headed Gull is seen in summer on the river Indus, and on
some lakes of the Changthang. Resident water-birds include the
Brahminy duck also known as the Ruddy Sheldrake and the
Bar-headed Goose. The Black-necked Crane (Ladakhi: Thung Thung)
is a rare species found scattered in the Tibetan plateau is
also found in parts of Ladakh. Other birds include the Raven,
Red-billed Chough, Tibetan Snowcock and Chukar. The
Lammergeier and the Golden Eagle are common raptors here.
The endangered Ibex found in high craggy terrain, numbers
several thousand in Ladakh often spotted by trekkers. The
Bharal, or blue sheep, is even more common, ranging in the
Himalayas from Ladakh east as far as Sikkim. The Shapu is a
rare goat that numbers about a thousand. Found at lower
elevations, mostly in river valleys, they compete with
domesticated animals. The Argali, or Nayan, is a relative of
the Marco Polo sheep of the Pamirs. They are impressive
animals with huge horizontal curving horns, numbering only a
couple hundred in Ladakh, but found in a wide range through
out mountainous areas of the Chinese Provinces of Xinjiang,
Qinghai, and Gansu.
The Chiru, or Tibetan antelope, (known in Ladakhi as Stos) is
also endangered. It has traditionally been hunted for its
wool. The wool obtained from the Chiru is called Shahtoosh,
which is valued in South Asia for its light weight and warmth
and as a status symbol. Owning or trading in Shahtoosh is now
illegal in most countries. The Kyang, or Tibetan Wild Ass, is
common in the grasslands of Changthang, numbering about 1,500
individuals.
The Snow Leopard (Ladakhi: Shan) once ranged throughout the
Himalayas, Tibet, and as far as the Sayan mountains on the
Mongolian-Russian border; and in elevation from 1800 m to 5400
m. It is believed there are about 200 in Ladakh, especially in
the Hemis High Altitude National Park. Other cats in Ladakh
are even rarer than the snow leopard, the Lynx, numbering only
a few individuals, and the Pallas's cat, which looks like a
house cat. The Tibetan Wolf preys on the livestock of the
Ladakhis and as such is the most persecuted, reduced to just
about 300 animals. There are also a few brown bears in the
Suru valley and the area around Dras. The Tibetan Sand Fox has
recently been discovered in this region. Among smaller
animals, Marmots, voles, hares, and several types of Pika are
common.
Culture
Ladakhi culture is similar to Tibetan culture. Ladakhi food
has much in common
with Tibetan food, the most prominent foods
being Thukpa, noodle soup; and Tsumpa, known in Ladakhi as
Ngampe, roasted barley flour, eatable without cooking it makes
useful, if dull trekking food. A dish that is strictly Ladakhi
is skyu, a heavy pasta dish with root vegetables. As Ladakh
moves toward a less sustainable, cash based economy, foods
from the plains of India are becoming more common.
Like in other parts of Central Asia, tea in Ladakh is
traditionally made with strong black tea, butter, and salt, it
is mixed in a large churn and known as gurgur cha, due to the
sound of mixing it. Sweet tea (cha ngarmo) is common now, made
Indian style with milk and sugar. Chang, an alcoholic beverage, is made from
barley, and has a yeasty taste slightly similar to sake.
The language of Ladakh is Ladakhi, a Tibetan dialect that is
different enough from Tibetan that Ladakhis and Tibetans often
speak Hindi or English when they need to communicate. Urban
Ladakhis usually know Hindi/Urdu and often English.
The architecture of Ladakh contains Tibetan and Indian
influences, and reflects a deeply Buddhist approach. The
Buddhist wheel, along with two dragons, is a common feature on
every Gompa. The Chörten have four-sided walls in Ladakh, as
opposed to round walls in parts of Tibet. Many of the
houses and monasteries are built on elevated, sunny sites
facing the south, and are often made out a mixture of rocks,
wood, cement and earth.
Traditional Ladakhi music, like Tibetan music, often involves
religious chanting in Tibetan or Sanskrit, as an integral part
of the religion. These chants are complex, often recitations
of sacred texts or in celebration of various festivals. Yang
chanting, performed without metrical timing, is accompanied by
resonant drums and low, sustained syllables.
Religious mask dances are an important part of Ladakh's
cultural life. The Hemis monastery, a leading centre of Drugpa
Buddhism, is a centre for an annual masked dance festival. The
dances typically narrate a story of fight between good and
evil, ending with the eventual victory of the former.
Weaving is an important part of traditional life in eastern
Ladakh. Both women and men weave, on a different loom.
Typical costumes include Gonchas of velvet, elaborately
embroidered waistcoats and boots, and gonads or hats.
Archery is a popular sport in Ladakh. Archery festivals are
held during the summer months in villages. These are
competitive events, to which all the surrounding villages send
their teams. The sport is conducted with strict etiquette, to
the accompaniment of the music of surna and daman (oboe and
drum). Polo, the other traditional sport of Ladakh is
indigenous to Baltistan and Gilgit, and was probably
introduced into Ladakh in the mid-17th century by King Singge
Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess.
The Ladakh festival is held every year in September. The
people, adorned with gold and silver ornaments and turquoise
headgears throng the streets. Monks wear colourful masks and
dance to the rhythm of cymbals, flutes and trumpets. The Yak,
Lion and Tashishpa dances depict the many legends and fables
of Ladakh. Buddhist monasteries sporting prayer flags, display
of 'tankhas', archery competitions, a mock marriage, and
horse-polo are the some highlights of this festival.
A feature of Ladakhi society that distinguishes it from the
rest of the state is the high status and complete emancipation
enjoyed by women. A related feature is the absence of a caste
system, although class distinctions do exist. Fraternal
polyandry and inheritance by primogeniture were actively
practiced in Ladakh until the early 1940s, when these were
made illegal by the then government of Jammu and Kashmir,
although they still exist in remote areas. Another custom was
known as khang-bu, or 'little house', in which the elders of a
family, as soon as the eldest son has reached years of
discretion, retire from participation in affairs, and taking
only enough of the property for their own sustenance, yielding
the headship of the family to him.
Adventure tourism in Ladakh started in the 19th century. By
the turn of the 20th
century, it was not uncommon for British
officials to undertake the 14 stage trek from Srinagar to Leh
as part of their annual leave. Agencies were set up in
Srinagar and Shimla to specialise sport related activities —
hunting, fishing and trekking. This era is recorded in Arthur
Neves The Tourist's Guide to Kashmir, Ladakh and Skardo, first
published in 1911. Today, about 18,000 tourists visit Ladakh
every year. Bounded by two mighty mountain ranges, it is a
popular place for adventure tourism. The well-preserved
Tibetan-Buddhist culture makes it even more attractive.
Among the popular places of tourist interest include Leh,
Drass valley, Suru valley, Kargil, Zanskar, Zangla, Rangdum,
Padum, Phugthal, Sani, Stongdey, Shyok Valley, Sankoo, Salt
Valley and several popular trek routes like Manali to Ladakh,
the Nubra valley, the Indus valley etc.
Ladakh was the connection point of Central Asia and South Asia
when the Silk
Road was in use. The sixty-day journey on the
Ladakh route connecting Amritsar and Yarkand through eleven
passes was frequently undertaken by traders till the third
quarter of the 19th century. Another common route in regular
use was the Kalimpong route between Leh and Lhasa via Gartok,
the administrative centre of western Tibet. Gartok could be
reached either straight up the Indus in winter, or through
either the Taglang la or the Chang la. Beyond Gartok, the
Cherko la brought travelers to the Manasarovar and Rakshastal
lakes, and then to Barka, which is connected to the main Lhasa
road. These traditional routes have been closed since the
Ladakh-Tibet border has been sealed by the Chinese government.
Other less used routes connected Ladakh to Hunza and Chitral.
In present times, the only two land routes to Ladakh in use
are from Srinagar and Manali. Travelers from Srinagar start
their journey from Sonamarg, through the Zoji la pass (3,450
m, 11,320 ft) via Dras and Kargil (2,750 m, 9,022 ft) passing
through Namika la (3,700 m, 12,140 ft) and Fatu la (4,100 m,
13,450 ft.) This has been the main traditional gateway to
Ladakh since historical times. However, with the rise of
militancy in Kashmir, the main corridor for accessing the area
has shifted from the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh route through Zoji
la, to the high altitude Manali-Leh Highway from Himachal
Pradesh. The highway crosses four passes, Rohtang la (3,978 m,
13,050 ft), Baralacha la (4,892 m, 16,050 ft), Lungalacha la
(5,059 m, 16,600 ft), Tangtang la (5,325 m, 17,470 ft) and is
open only between July and September, when snow is cleared
from the road. There is one airport, situated at Leh, from
which there are multiple daily flights to Delhi on Jet Airways
and Indian, and weekly flights to Srinagar.
Buses run from Leh to the surrounding villages. There is about
1800 km of roads in Ladakh, of which 800 km is surfaced.
The Manali-Leh-Srinagar road makes up about half of that, the
remainder being spurs off it. Ladakh is criss-crossed by a
complex network of mountain trails which, even today provide
the only link between the majority of valleys, villages and
high pastures. For the traveler with a number of months it is
possible to trek from one end of Ladakh to the other, or even
from places in Himachal Pradesh. The large number of trails
and the limited number of roads allows one to string together
routes that have road access often enough to restock supplies,
but avoid walking on motor roads almost entirely.
