Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Ladakh

Ladakh

What is it? A favourite among adventure-sport enthusiasts and trekkers. The altitude of Ladakh ranges from about 9,000 feet at Kargil to 25,170 feet at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram region. It offers a surreal combination of arid, windswept mountains, enchanting valleys and beautiful lakes
Where is it? Jammu and Kashmir
When do I go? From May to November
For how long? 7 days if you’re walking; 3 days if you’re driving and allow one of those days as a rest day to acclimatise
STD Code: 01982

Ladakh is distinct in its seclusion. Located to the east of the Trans-Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, it is virtually shut off from the rest of the world. The Indus, which has seen ancient civilisations rise, flourish and die out along its fertile banks, rises in the interior of Tibet, flows through the centre of Ladakh, and makes its way further on to the western part of Pakistan.Despite its remote setting, Ladakh has fascinated and inspired people for ages, what with its stark and barren landscapes juxtaposed alongside lush green fields, its gompas (monasteries) perched precariously on perilously sloping mountain sides, and even its indigenous Amchi system of medicine. An intriguing amalgam of cultures Tibetan and Indian, Leh, the present capital of Ladakh, was once the rendezvous point for trade caravans from Central Asia and the plains of India. One of the most visible features of the rich heritage of Ladakh has got to be its’ ancient Gompas. Most of these are built on sheer-faced cliffs and are still active centres of worship.

About Ladakh
History
Ladakh and Zanskar, although not politically part of Tibet (which is now a part of China), lie on the outer regions of the Tibetan plateau. The cultural influences are fairly strong and obvious. This spiritual connection coupled with the tremendous isolation of the area due to its altitude and weather has created a unique community, of which there is no parallel in India: the community of Ladakhis.
Yet to view the culture of Ladakh as strictly analogous to that of Tibet would be inaccurate.
Although the borders of Tibet were tightly sealed by government mandate, Ladakh received a steady stream of visitors, and consequently, outside influences, due to its strategic position along the Central Asian Silk Route. Thus, influx of visitors that Ladakh has received since the Indian government opened the area to tourism in 1974 is not a new phenomenon. While Buddhists make up a large majority of the region’s residents, the prominent mosque in the Leh bazaar locale has been an active religious centre since its construction during the age of the (circa 1661) Mughals. The Moravian Church also has a mission in Leh. This branch of the Roman Catholic Church was established in 1885.

Outside Leh, eastern Ladakh remains a more traditionally Buddhist domain. The Chang Thang plateau nomads of eastern Ladakh continue to (albeit limited) trade with their neighbours in Tibet, in spite of an official government ban on crossing the border. Gompas dot the landscape and assume a central position in the functioning of village life.
For close to 900 years, from the middle of the 10th century, Ladakh was an independent kingdom, ruled by various dynasties. Their political fortunes ebbed and flowed over the centuries, with the kingdom experiencing its zenith of power during the reign of Sengge Namgyal (in the 17th century). His rule extended across Spiti and western Tibet up to the Mayumala, beyond the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.

Gradually, and perhaps due to the fact that it was politically stable in contrast to the lawless tribes further west, Ladakh came to be recognised as the best trade route between the Punjab and Central Asia. For centuries, Ladakh was traversed by caravans carrying textiles, spices, raw silk, carpets, dyestuffs and opium. Bravely and deliberately disregarding the dangers posed by the land’s rugged terrain and remoteness, merchants entrusted their goods to pony transport relays who took about two months to transport them from Amritsar to the Central Asian towns of Yarkhand and Khotan.

Soon, traders began to designate Leh as a halfway home on this long and treacherous route. Thus, it developed onto a bustling trade centre. The origin of pashmina, can be traced back to the high-altitude plateaux of eastern Ladakh and western Tibet, from where the material was sent to Leh and Srinagar, where artisans transformed it from the matted, oily mass of underfleece into shawls renown the world over for their softness, warmth, exquisite quality and texture.
Ironically, it was this lucrative trade that finally sounded the death-knell for the independent kingdom. It attracted the grasping and greedy gaze of one Gulab Singh – the ruler of Jammu in the early 19th century – who, in 1834, despatched his general Zorawar, with orders to invade and conquer Ladakh. There followed war and bedlam, the advantage of which was taken by the British, who cannily used this opportunity to cement their paramountcy in north India.
More recently, Ladakh has remained in India as part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, while Baltistan ceded to Pakistan.

Geography
Leh is the capital of Ladakh. Mountains, glaciers and snow dominate the Ladakhi landscape.
Latitude 34° 09′ N
Longitude 77° 36′ E

Covering about 117,000 sq km (including the Karakoram Range and the upper Indus Valley) Ladakh has got to be, and in fact, is one of the most elevated regions of the world. Its natural features consist mainly of high plains and deep valleys, which draw a poignant analogy to life. In the south-east of Ladakh lies Rupshu, an area consisting of large, brackish lakes at a uniform height of about 13,500 feet (4,100 m). To the north-west of Rupshu lies Zanskar, a bleak, inaccessible region where people (and indeed cattle too!) remain indoors for much of the year because of the cold. Also in Zanskar is the Zanskar River, which joins the Indus below Leh.
In Ladakh proper, farther to the north, cultivation levels – on manured and irrigated slopes – range from 9,000 to 15,000 feet (2,750 m to 4,550 m). Leh, the most accessible town of Ladakh proper, is an important trade centre. It lies 160 miles (260 km) east of Srinagar.

Climate
Bright sunshine, a high evaporation rate, strong winds (which bring along with it a wind-chill factor to reckon with) and fluctuating temperatures are characteristic conditions of the climate in Ladakh. It is even said that a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade can have sunstroke and fall prey to frostbite simultaneously!
Truly a cold and arid desert, the annual level of precipitation in Ladakh is a mere 80 mm. With sparse vegetation and low atmospheric humidity levels, it may even snow during the hottest months: July and August.
The growth of vegetation here is confined to valleys and sheltered spots where stunted stands of tamarisk, furze, and other tinder-supplying plants provide much needed firewood to the town’s freezing folk.
All these factors have influenced the cover of vegetation in the area, which comprises only five percent of arable land, consisting of herbs, shrubs and xerophytes. The principal crops include wheat, barley, millet, buckwheat, peas, beans, alfalfa and turnips. Temperature: Summer Max 27°C; Winter Min -45°C

For more information on the following topics, please see the TravelOnTheDollar Ladakh travel guide for Kindle:
- Getting there
- Getting around
- Sights & Sounds
- Accommodation
- Eating Out
- Shopping
- Useful Information
- Survival Guide

Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir A favourite among adventure-sport enthusiasts and trekkers. The altitude of Ladakh ranges from about 9,000 feet at Kargil to 25,170 feet at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram region. It offers a surreal combination of arid, windswept mountains, enchanting valleys and beautiful lakes. Get all the information you need – getting there, getting away, excursions, sights & sounds, things to do, useful information, etc. Kindle price: $9.99