Ladakh at the Roof of the World

Jullay! Yes that's the buzz word you will encounter the moment you land in Leh's Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport. Jullay is the typical warm welcoming address in the local Ladakhi language. Home to some thirty thousands odd residents, who are amongst the most friendly people of the world with their simple way of life, Leh is one of its kind a city unparalleled to any other in India. The first thing to strike a traveller from the outside world is the awe-inspiring beauty and the somewhat inhospitable climate of the cold dessert.

The word La-Dakh in Tibetan language means Land of high passes with La literally meaning pass (e.g. Khardung La) which describes the unique geography of the place, is also referred as the Roof of the World because of its elevation. Some 1,011 odd km away from the national capital Delhi and at an altitude of 11,500 feet above the mean sea level, Leh, the administrative headquarter of Ladakh region in the eastern Jammu & Kashmir is one of the remotest and sparingly populated places in India. The entire Ladakh region hosts a population of less than 300 hundred thousands with a density of only 3.2 people per square km as per 2011 census. 

Leh is connected to the rest of the country by two highways, namely the Srinagar-Leh highway and the Manali-Leh highway but neither of the two are all weather roads as these are prone to landslides and heavy snowfall blocks them during winter months. With no railway connectivity, airways is the only dependable mode of transport and get into Leh throughout the year with four different airlines providing domestic flights mostly to Delhi and to some extent to Jammu, Srinagar and Chandigarh.

Located at the banks of the river Indus, one of the longest river in Asia and the river after which the great Indus Valley Civilisation and eventually our great country got their identity. But it is the river Zanskar a north flowing tributary of Indus, bears more cultural and civilisation significance for the people of Ladakh. The two rivers meet at a place called Nimmu not far from the Leh city although the place is now getting popularised as Sangam probably influenced by the tourists from North Indian heartland. The word sangam refers to confluence of rivers in Sanskrit.

Historical background...

Observers find the culture and language of Ladakh have much in common to Tibet than any other parts of India (Arunachal and Sikkim to some extent). According to historians, Ladakh was under active Tibetan influence both politically and culturally till 842. Subsequently the fall of Tibetan dynasty lead to establishment of West Tibet dynasty ruling over Ladakh independent of Lahsa. In the following centuries Ladakh largely remained independent except occasional invasions from Central Asia until 19th century when the Dogra rulers of Jammu & Kashmir, allied with Sikh empire, attacked Ladakh in 1834 and consequently incorporated it to the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir in 1846. Following independence of India, then Dogra ruler of Jammu & Kashmir, Hari Singh had signed the instrument of accession which led to Ladakh's accession as part of Jammu & Kashmir into Republic of India.

Leh Palace

Buddhist tradition...

People of Ladakh people are one of the most peaceful and friendly people of the world, most of them following Tibetan Buddhism. Leh and the surrounding areas house some of the oldest and most celebrated Buddhist Monastery which is called Gompa in Ladakhi language. These gompas are considered to be heritage monument like the one in Thinksey (The picture at the top). 

Inside Thiksey Monastery

One of the oldest monastery in the region, Hemis Monastery is more than a millennium old. Located close to Hemis national park around 45 km south of Leh city. The heritage monastery was revived in 1672 since then it is operating uninterruptedly.

The rest I am leaving to the traveler side of you to explore on the next visit Leh and Ladakh next.