Ladakh, "land of high passes" is a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Kashmir.
Bounded by the world\'s two mightiest mountain ranges, the Greater Himalayas in the South and The Karakoram in North, Ladakh, a land like no other, was unknown to outsiders for many centuries. It is often considered as ‘A world within a world’.
The approach to Ladakh is invariably marked with many walls that are long upto 2 to 3m, decorated with engraved stones bearing the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" and Chortens which symbolizes Buddha\'s mind. Almost every occasion like marriage, birth, harvesting, commemoration of head Lamas, founding of the monastery, Losar (New Year) and flowering is marked by feasting, dancing and the singing of folksongs that forms a part of their living heritage.
Rock carvings have been found in many parts of Ladakh, proving the fact that the area has been inhabited from the Neolithic times. Ladakh's earliest inhabitants consisted of a mixed Indo-Aryan population of Mons and Dards who have been mention in the works of Herodotus, Nearchus, Megasthenes, Pliny, Ptolemy, and the geographical lists of the Puranas. The 7th Century Buddhist traveler Xuanzang also describes the region in his accounts.
Buddhism came to western Ladakh via Kashmir in the 2nd Century when much of eastern Ladakh and western Tibet was still practicing the Bon religion. Circa 9th Century AD, Ladakh underwent a demographic and cultural change resulting in a predominantly Tibetan population as it came under Tibetan control. In the later half of the 16th Century, the Namgyal dynasty reunited Ladakh and successfully repelled Central Asian raiders and extended the kingdom till Nepal at its zenith. It was during this time that efforts were taken to restore artifacts and gompas that were destroyed by the concerted efforts of the Central Asian raiders to convert the region to Islam.
In the 17th Century, Ladakh was defeated by the Mughals, but managed to retain its independence. In the late 17th century, Kashmiri help in Ladakh's war against Tibet came with the precondition that the king sould convert to Islam and a mosque be built in Leh. Annexed by the Sikh empire under Ranjit Singh in 1834, it later became part of the Dogra state of Jammu and Kashmir till the accession to the Indian Union in 1947. The Namgyal family nominally retains the jagir (fiefdom) of Stok till this day.
Rugged mountains with monasteries, breathtaking physical features, ancient Tibetan-Buddhist culture (also called Little Tibet for this reason) and valleys filled with fluttering prayer flags leave the first time traveler awestruck by its beauty. There are old monasteries and palaces to visit, local customs and festivals to enjoy, and the stark landscape with its palette dominated by browns, greys and yellows of the earth, and the blues and greens of the skies, rivers and lakes, and the silence, make one feel like they have trespassed into the realms of the Gods.
International travellers arriving at Delhi should get foreign currency exchanged at the Delhi airport itself as the exchange rate will be more beneficial at Delhi. The weather is also quite fickle especially towards the onset of winter (October onwards), so it is better to be well prepared.
Winter is extremely cold with temperatures dropping to below freezing point, hence it is advisable to travel between the months of April and September. The first half of October with the winter months round the corner is also a nice time to visit as there are lesser number of tourists around, so one could get good deals. Be forewarned however that in case of an early snowfall, the only way out could be on a plane.
Daily flights to Leh are run by Indian, Jet Airways and Air Deccan from Delhi, Srinagar, Jammu and elsewhere. These are, however, subject to inclement weather and may be cancelled at any time, keep your schedule flexible. Altitude sickness is also a worry given the altitude.
Getting Around – Road Travel
Buses run directly to Leh from either Manali or Srinagar. The sensible choice from Manali is to take the bus that goes as directly as possible as there are few sites worth visiting in and around Leh. This is the choice that most travelers will want to take due to the tense security situation in Kashmir. The road is only open from June to mid October due to snow fall.
There are shared taxis from Manali which start early in the morning and reach Leh in the night. Buses, however, stop overnight in Sarchu.
Ladakhi buses run from Leh to the surrounding villages. They are often overcrowded and generally disorganised and poorly run. Daily buses or mini buses run to Alchi, Basgo, Dha-Hanu, Likir, Nimmu, and Saspul; twice daily to Chemray, Hemis, Matho, Stok, and Tak Tok; hourly or more often to Choglamsar, Phyang, Shey, Spituk, Stakna, Thiksay.
Taxi
One can find a number of local taxis in Leh which will take you to the surrounding monasteries much faster and more comfortably than Public transport. Rates are fairly steep compared to elsewhere in India.
By motorbike
In Leh there are a number of shops that will rent motorbikes, mostly the world famous Royal Enfield 1948 model, still made in India today (350 and 500 cc model). Rents are fairly cheap, and if one is used to old bikes and left hand side driving, it is certainly a great way to move around and certainly far cheaper than local taxis.
Getting Around- Trekking
For the traveler who hve the time, it is possible to trek from one end of Ladakh to the other or even from places in Himachal Pradesh .
Yuru Kabgyat The 2-day festival takes place in July in Lamayuru. During the festival monks performs mask dances, prayer and rituals to get rid of disaster and bring peace to the world.
Hemis Festival Hemis festival is one of the most famous monastic festivals in June to commemorate birth of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. The three-day festival takes place from 9th to 11th June.
Dosmochey Dosmochey is celebrated in Leh (Leh Palace), Liker (Lower Ladakh) and Deskit (Nubra valley) monasteries in February - end and starting of the Tibetan New Year. The monks from different monasteries perform the Chhams every year turn by turn.
There are arrangements for stay in Lukung (near the Pangong lake) and Spangmik and one can stay overnight to enjoy this place at a slower pace. Camping is also possible.
Accommodation is available along the way to Khardung-la Pass and in Nubra Valley at various places.
Leh offers a variety of accommodations to suit almost every pocket or preference. Most hotels are family- run establishments and as such, the service is more personalised than professional.
There are also some Government run Tourist Bungalows located mainly along the Srinagar-Leh road. These offer the best value in the medium range, but room availability is uncertain unless one holds a confirmed reservation. This is possible only if a written requisition has been sent to the Tourist Office at Leh of Kargil in advance.
Ladakhi food has much in common with Tibetan food, the most prominent food being: Thukpa, noodle soup; and Tsampa, known in Ladakhi as Ngampe, roasted barley flour, eatable without cooking and is useful, though dull, trekking food.
A dish that is strictly Ladakhi is skyu, a heavy pasta dish with root vegetables.
Tea 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. Similar to tea traditionally drunk elsewhere in Central Asia, it is more like soup than tea. It can be refreshing and invigorating if you can get used to it. Sweet tea (cha ngarmo) is common now, made in the Indian style with lots of milk and sugar.
Beer (chang) is traditionally made from barley. It has a yeasty taste slightly similar to sake.
Handicraft items, souvenirs and prayer bells made of bronze and copper, woolen shawls, beads and necklaces as well as goods from across the border can be found in the shops at Ladakh.
The Nubra Valley means Ldumra (the valley of flowers), situated in the north of Leh, Nubra can be reached after crossing Khardung La (5359m). One of the largest villages in Nubra valley, Deskit is home to a busy and dramatically positioned gompa. Another highlight of the region is Hundar – probably the only place is world with splendid beauty of a desert and sand dunes with Bactrian camels (two-humped), rolling mountains and snow capped peaks. Though restricted by Govt. regulation, Nubra offers some of the most spectacular sights and walks in the region.
Due to its different landscape, environment and culture, Ladakh has altogether something different to offer. Its past has left many historical monuments and castles, each with a story of its own. Its Buddhist history, which is perhaps, the largest crowd- puller has lots to offer, both for one’s eye as well as your soul. It is this Buddhist art and culture that seems a mystery for many who could not understand.
