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Area: 97,000 sq kms out of which nearly 38,000
sq. kms are under Chinese Occupation since 1962.
Population: Approx. 2.40 lakh in the 2 districts
of Leh & Kargil.
Languages: Ladakhi including Balti / Purgi,
Shina or Dardic, Urdu / Hindi.
Ethnic composition: Mongoloid/Tibetan, Dardic
and assorted Indo-Aryan elements.
Altitude: Leh 3505 m, Kargil 2750 m.
Geographical Introduction
Ladakh is a land abounding in awesome physical
features, set in an enormous and spectacular
environment. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest
mountain ranges, the Karakoram in the north and the
Great Himalaya in the south, it is traversed by two
other parallel chains, the Ladakh Range and the
Zanskar Range.
In
geological terms, this is a young land, formed a few
million years ago. Its basic contours, uplifted by
tectonic movements, have been modified over the
millennia by the process of erosion due to wind and
water, sculpted into the form that we see today.
A Virtually Rainless Area
 Today
a high-altitude desert, sheltered from the
rain-bearing clouds of the Indian monsoon by the
barrier of the Great Himalaya, Ladakh was once
covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of
which still exist on its south-east plateaux of
Rupshu and Chushul, in the drainage basins or lakes
of Tso-moriri, Tso-kar and Pangong-tso. But the main
source of water is winter snowfall.
For the rest of the region, the snow on the peaks is
virtually the only source of water. As the crops
grow, the villagers pray not for rain, but for sun
to melt the glaciers and liberate their water.
Usually their prayers are answered, for the skies
are clear and the sun shines for over 300 days in
the year.
Dras, Zanskar and the Suru Valley on the Himalaya's
northern flanks receive heavy snow in winter, this
feeds the glaciers from which melt water, carried
down by streams, irrigates the fields in summer. For
the rest of the region, the snow on the peaks is
virtually the only source of water. As the crops
grow, the villagers pray not for rain, but for sun
to melt the glaciers and liberate their water.
Capital of Ladakh
Leh,
the capital of Ladakh is situated at a height of
3505 meters. Leh is a beautiful destination with so
many attractions and is the center of Tibeto-Buddhist
Culture for ages. Its colorful gompas have attracted
the devout Buddhists from all over the globe.
Besides, it is also a favorite hiking locale and is
known for some of the best hikes in the country.
 As
one approaches Leh for the first time, via the
sloping seep of dust and pebbles that divide if from
the floor of the Indus Valley, one will have little
difficulty imagining ho
w the old trans -Himalayan traders must have
felt as they plodded in on the caravan routes from
Yarkhand and Tibet: a mixture of relief at having
crossed the mountains in one piece, and anticipation
of a relaxing spell in one of central Asia's most
scenic and atmospheric towns.
Spilling out of a side valley that tapers north
towards eroded snow-capped peaks, the Ladakhi
capital sprawls from the foot of a ruined Tibetan
style palace - a maze of mud-mud brick and concrete
flanked on one side by cream-coloured desert, and on
the other by a swathe of lush irrigated farmland
The Town Attractions
Leh has nonetheless retained a more tranquil side,
and is a pleasant place to unwind after a long bus
journey. Attractions in and around the town itself
include the former Palace and Namgyal Tsemo Gompa,
perched amid strings of prayer flags above the
narrow dusty streets of the Old Quarter.
A short walk north across the fields, the small
monastery of Sankar harbours accomplished modern
Tantric murals and a thousand beaded Avalokitesvara
(also spelt as Avalokiteshvara) deity.
Leh is also a good base for longer day trips out
into the Indus Valley. Among the string of
picturesque villages and Gompas within reach by bus
are Shey, site of a derelict 17th century palace,
and the Spectacular Tikse Gompa. Until one has
adjusted to the altitude, however, the Only
sightseeing one will probably feel up to will be
from a guesthouse roof terrace or garden, from where
the snowy summits of the majestic Stok-Kangri massif
(6,120m), magnified in the crystal clear Ladakhi
sunshine, look close enough to touch
Sankar
Gompa
This is small but more interesting place to visit
than the Leh Gompa and can easily be visited on
foot. The Sankar Gompa is an under Gompa of Spitok
Gompa. At the most only 20 monks live here and few
are permanently in residence although the monastery
itself is fairly active. Thus the Gompa is only open
to the public from 7.00 am to 10.00 am and from 5.00
to 7.00 pm. It is, however, well lit, so an evening
visit is worthwhile. At these times the monks will
welcome the visitors and may offer one yak butter
tea, 'Tsampa' and boiled and spiced mustard plant.
Jami
Masjid
When one had
enough of the bazaar, head past the new green and
white painted Jami Masjid at the top of the street,
and follow one of the lanes that lead into the old
town. Apart from the odd electric cable, nothing
much has changed here since the warren of flat
roofed houses, crumbling 'Chortens', 'Mani' Walls
and narrow sandy streets was laid down late in the
16th century - least of all the plumbing.
Chamba Temple
One
place definitely worth walking through the putrid
smelling puddles to visit, however, is the Chamba
temple. It's not easy to find on your own; ask at
the second row of shops on the left after the big
arch for the key keeper (gonyer), who will show you
the way. Hemmed in by dilapidated medieval mansions,
the one roomed shrine houses a colossal image of
Maitreya, the Buddha to come, and some wonderful old
wall paintings.
Leh Palace
 The
old palace of the kings of Ladakh overlooks the town
from the southwest slope of the Tsemo hill. It has
eight storeys and was built by King Sengge Namgyal
in the 16th century, at much the same time as the
famed Potala of Lhasa - which it resembles. The
damage to the palace, one side is gaping open, stems
from the Kashmiri invasions of the last century.
Like the Shey palace the Leh palace still belongs to
the Ladakhi royal family, who now live in their
palace in Stok.
Leh Gompa
The Leh Gompa stands high above the palace and also
overlooks the ruins of the older palace of the King
of Tagpebums. The Red Gompa also known as Namgyal
Tsemo Gompa was built in 1430 by King
Gvags-Pa-Bum-Ide and has a fine three-storey high
seated Buddha figure flanked by Avalokitesvara on
the right and Manjushri on the left. In all there
are three Gompas at the top of the hill, the topmost
one is in a very ruined condition but offers
extremely fine views over Leh and the surrounding
countryside. To the right of the palace one can see
a Buddha painted on the rocks, a remnant of an
earlier monastery.
Other Leh Gompas
There are a number of lesser Gompas in the old town
of Leh - such as the Guru Lakhang to the left of the
palace, beneath the large Chorten. The Chamba
Lakhang, south of the palace, and the Chenrezig
Lakhang, to the southeast, are similarly less famous
since they contain little of interest compared to
other more splendid Gompas around Leh. In the centre
of Leh the Buddhist association of Ladakh in 1957
built the new monastery or Gompa Soma or Jokhang. It
contains an image of the Buddha Sakyamuni that was
brought form Tibet. Meetings of the Buddhist
association are held in this monastery.
Leh Fort
The Leh fort, built by Zorawar Singh, contains three
temples but cannot be visited because it is within
the military camp area.
Shanti Stupa
 A
relatively new addition to the rocky skyline around
Leh is the toothpaste white Shanti Stupa above
Changspa village, 3-km west of the bazaar.
Inaugurated in 1983 by the Dalai Lama, the "Peace
Pagoda", whose sides are decorated with gilt panels
depicting episodes from the life of the Buddha, is
one of several such monuments erected around India
by a "Peace Sect" of Japanese Buddhists.
The Ecology Centre
Five minutes' walk north of the main bazaar, the
Ecology centre (Monday-Saturday 10.00 am - 5.00 pm)
is the headquarters of LEDeG (the Ladakh Ecological
Development Group) - a local non governmental
organization that aims to counter the negative
impact of western style "development" by fostering
economic independence and respect for traditional
culture. This involves promoting "appropriate"
technologies such as solar energy, encouraging
organic farming and cottage industries, and
providing education on environmental and social
issues through village drama, workshops and
seminars.
The garden hosts an open-air exhibition of solar
gadgets, hydraulic pumps, water mills and other
ingenious energy saving devices that have proved
successful throughout Ladakh. There's also a small
library, and a handicraft shop, selling locally made
clothes, 'Thangkas', T-shirts, books and postcards.
Secmol
Secmol (The Student's Educational And Cultural
Movement Of Ladakh) was founded in 1988 by Ladakhi
university students through a problematic
educational system. At present the curriculum,
devised in Srinagar and taught in Urdu and English,
does not cover subjects of local relevance. In the
hope of maintaining pride in Ladakh's traditions,
SECMOL teaches local history and runs workshops on
handicrafts, agriculture and technology. Volunteer
help from TEFL qualified visitors is appreciated at
the summer schools run just outside Leh. If one
likes to help, or want to meet members of SECMOL,
write in advance (To - SECMOL, Chubi Katpa, Leh), or
drop into their office on the northern outskirts of
town (Monday-Saturday 2.00-6.00 pm), ten minutes'
walk up the hill from Ali Shah's Postcard Shop.
Weather of The Cold
Desert
Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000
feet (2,750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at
Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer
temperatures rarely exceed about 270 C in the shade,
while in winter they may plummet to -200 C even in
Leh. Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the
heat of the sun even more intense than at lower
altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man
sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer
from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time! |
