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Ladakh
is situated in the northern part of India in the state of Jammu &
Kashmir. The
most striking
physical aspect of Ladakh are the parallel mountains running from
southeast
to northwest. In the north are main ranges of Karakoram and Kuen Lun,
seperating India
from Central Asia and Tibet. The Ladakh range starts from the Indus-
Shyok confluence and the Zanskar Range is the dividing lines between
Indus vally and Zanskar vally. The
great Himalayan Range in its south demarcates Ladakh from the Kashmir
Valley and Himachal. On its northern frontier lies the high land of
Aksai Chin and Soda Plains, on the western extremity lies the Kanjut
area of Hunja.
Ladakh comprises two district : LEH and KARGIL. The district of Leh
can be further divided into Indus valley, Marka Valley, Nurba Valley
and Shyok Valley. Its main river are Indus, Zanskar and Shyok. Ladakh
is also called as ‘Little Tibet’, ‘Moon - Land’, or the ‘Last Shangri
- la’. The Himalayan is an effective barrier to the rain and as a
result Ladkh is barren beyond belief, hence the name ‘Moon - Land’.
The habitations are at an elevation of 3,000m to 5,000m. They are
either nomads or live in small hamlets. Monastries are the landmark
all over the country and influence every aspect of the most strategic
places, usually on the top of the hill or the rock face. Much of its
landscapes is devoid of any vegetation - from steep and barren mountain
capped with snow to narrow rocky canyons carrying raoids or swift
river at great depths. Its stark landscapes, its ancient monastries,
its medieval way of life and its remoteness attract visitors, geologists,
anthropologist, mountaineers and lovers of nature from far and wide.
Remotes yet never isolated, this Trans-Himalayan land is a repositor
of a myrid culture
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and religious
influences from mainland India, Tibet and Central Asia. The tough
resident people are fascinating mix of the native Ladakhis and the
refugee Tibetians. Thepeople are known for the devout and peace loving
ways. After the hardship of extreme winter, they bring their land
alive during summer with festivals, mask dance and mystic plays.
Its strategic location is matched by its physical isolation - only
from June to September are the roads open, rest the time it is covered
with snow. And only since 1979, there has been flight into Ladakh,
which is undoubtly one of the most spectacular in the world.
Ladakh maybe a part of India , but it is less like India than anything
you could imagine.
Be it cultural, Camping or driving through the highest motorable road
in the world or have a view of the ‘Moon-Land’: Ladakh has so much
to offer. |
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© 2003 Druk Expeditions 