Ladakh: Nature’s Abode in India

Ladakh: Nature’s Abode in India: "
Ladakh is the eastern region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir of Northern India, sandwiched between the Karakoram mountain range on the north and the Himalayas on the south. 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. No wonder, it is a popular place for adventure tourism.

The mountain ranges span the borders across Pakistan, India, and China. Ladakh was a critical link in the ancient Central Asian trade route network connecting Tibet, China and Kashmir. The word Ladakh means “land of high passes”.




The Indian portion of Ladakh is composed of the Leh and Kargil districts. The Leh district is the largest district of India, covering more than half the area of Jammu and Kashmir.

The people are an equal mix of Buddhists and Muslims. Buddhists form the majority in the east close to the Chinese border while Muslims form the majority in the north and west. The two religions have blended in Ladakh to create a unique culture. The dominant culture that travellers are likely to confront is Tibetan Buddhism as the majority of the tourist attractions are in the east. Now, many Tibetans from the occupied Tibet flee the Chinese oppression to settle down in Ladakh and practise freely their religion and culture.

Steep gorges and stark terrain make Ladakh an awesome place to visit! Rock carvings have been found in many parts of Ladakh, showing that the area has been inhabited from the Neolithic times. Monasteries and the well preserved Tibetan-Buddhist culture makes it even more attractive.

Here are a few people going on a motorbike trip to the enchanting Ladakh.





Many rivers flow through this region: Indus in Leh region, Shayok in Nubra and Zanskar river in Zanskar.



The confluence of Indus and Zanskar rivers at Nimo, near Leh; Source: Wikitravel

The Indus River rises near the Mansarovar Lake on the Tibetan plateau. It enters the Himalaya in southeastern Ladakh and joins with the River Gurtang at an elevation of 4,200 m. Thereafter it follows a north by northwest course between the towering Ladakh range in the north and the Zanskar range in the south. Thus the river Indus enters Ladakh in India from China and eventually flows through to Pakistan.



Partly frozen river Indus; Source

Rafting is a sport that is increasingly becoming popular these days. The most popular spot is the Zanskar river along its spectacular course through the gorge in the Zanskar mountains.



Watch this exciting sport:





Pangong Lake in Kashmir is the world’s highest brackish lake at 14,256 feet above sea level, which freezes completely in winter despite being saline. The lake extends from India to Tibet. 60% of the length of the lake lies in Tibet, which is today under China’s rule.



Pangong lake; Source

Tibetan women are strong willed and independent, and enjoy high status in society.



A Ladakhi woman; Source

Being a pastoral/agricultural society, with the typical rural Ladakhi possessing only small cultivable land, they traditionally practised, like Tibetans, Fraternal polyandry, but the practice is on the decline.

Ladakh abounds in places and sights that are sure to wow every traveler. I’ll leave you with yet one more awesome video





In subsequent posts, we’ll visit the monasteries of Ladakh and also witness the rising popularity of Ice Hockey in Ladakh.

Read Playing Ice Hockey in Ladakh

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