Ladakh Holiday Tour Hotels In Ladakh

Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two in the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Excellent Himalayas and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range along with the Zanskar variety.

In geological phrases, this is a young land, shaped only some million many years ago through the buckling and folding in the earth's crust because the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible power versus the immovable mass of Asia. Its fundamental contours, uplifted by these unimaginable tectonic movements, happen to be modified over the millennia from the opposite method of erosion, sculpted into the type one sees right now by wind and drinking water.

Sometimes, some stray monsoon clouds do locate their way more than the Himalaya, and lately this appears to become happening with increasing frequency. But the main supply of water continues to be the winter snowfall. Drass (also spelt as Dras), Zanskar and the Suru Valley on the Himalaya's northern flank obtain hefty snow in winter; this feeds the glaciers whose melt water, carried down by streams, irrigates the fields in summer time.

For that relaxation in the area, the snow around the peaks is virtually the only supply of h2o. As the crops grow, the villagers pray not for rain, but for sun to melt the glaciers and liberate their drinking water. Normally their prayers are answered, for the skies are apparent as well as the sun shines for over 300 days inside the year.

Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (two,750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (seven,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Therefore summer temperatures seldom exceed about 270 C within the shade, even though in winter they might plummet to -200 C even in Leh. Remarkably, though, the skinny air can make the warmth from the sun much more intensive than at lower altitudes; it truly is stated that only in Ladakh can a guy sitting in the sun with his feet inside the shade are afflicted by sunstroke and frostbite at the exact same time!

 

Central Ladakh

Its mural, dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, pre-date the Tibetan style of painting that's existing are reminiscent from the paintings in the far off Ajanta Caves and are presumed to become almost sole survivors in the Buddhist style present in Kashmir for the duration of the very first millennium Ad, along with some in Phugtal Gompa in Zanskar, and Tabo in Spiti

Northern Ladakh KARGIL

Kargil, the 2nd city of Ladakh, is situated on the Suru River just short of its confluence with the Dras-shingo. Practically equidistant, at a little over 200-km from Leh, Srinagar, Padum in Zanskar and Skardu, the money of Baltistan, it had been in the previous days the centre of the network of routes joining these places. Following partition, Skardu went into Pakistan, but Kargil remains the main staging-point between Srinagar and Leh, as well as the Gateway to the Suru valley and Zanskar.

SURU VALLEY
The Suru valley, a significantly underrated part of Ladakh, runs for about 140-km from Kargil up to the base of the Penzi-la move into Zanskar. Even though immobilized in winter season by hefty snowfall, its fields, watered by streams fro the surrounding mountains, create wealthy crops of wheat and barely. Typically, it continues to be an area surplus in foodgrains.

Irrigation water is abundant adequate to allow the plantation of thick stands of willow and poplar, providing the region lushness uncommon in Ladakh. About halfway along its length, the river loops its way past an enormous mound of alluvium, the final gasp in the Zanskar range, to hold on, past the glaciers of the Nun-kun massif to Rangdum, a Gompa on the hillock overlooking a wide marshy basic.

The lower portion of the valley, its quick charms apart, gives spectacular views of Nun-Kun and its attendant peaks. Expeditions to it mostly consider off from Panikhar, the village just short with the valley's right-angled turn, which is also the base for long treks inside the path of Kashmir and Kishtwar. Other trekking bases are Sanku, additional down the valley, and Rangdum.

ZANSKAR
Two rivers, flowing towards each other alongside the northern flank in the Wonderful Himalayas, meet in the broad simple of Padum. They become the Zanskar River, which flows off northwards via a gorge inside the Zanskar range, to fulfill the Indus at Nimo. This T-Shaped complex of valleys is Zanskar, opened to motor site visitors only in 1980 whenever a road was constructed via the Suru Valley and Rangdum and more than the Penzi-la.

A Trekkers Paradise
Practically untouched by the winds of alter and modernization till then, Zanskar is now a favourite destination for trekkers. Padum may be the centre for tough but rewarding treks to Manali by way of the Shingo-la (sixteen,732 feet/5,100m); Kishtwar through the Umasi-la (17,828 feet/5,434m); and Lamayuru and Leh by way of challenging routes via the Zanskar range.

Zanskar can also be referred to as a land of religion and has the best focus of Gompas in Ladakh, outside the Indus Valley. The essential types are Sani, Karsha and Stongde in the central plain, Bardan and Phugtal just off the Padum-Manali path, as well as the modest hermitage of Dzonkhul around the approach to the Umasi-la.

Arts & Crafts of Ladakh Jammu Kashmir

ARTS AND CRAFTS of Ladakh Jammu Kashmir
There is small tradition of artistic craftsmanship in Ladakh, most luxury articles inside the previous having been obtained by means of imports. The exception may be the village of Chilling, about 19-km up the Zanskar River from Nimo. Here, a community of metal workers, said to be the descendants of artisans brought from Nepal within the mid-17th century to build one particular from the gigantic Buddha - images at Shey, carry on their hereditary vocation. Working in silver, brass and copper, they produce exquisite items for domestic and religious use: Tea and Chang pots, teacup-stands and lids, Hookah-bases, ladles and bowls and cooking pots they need for everyday use.

Weaving
'Pattu', the rough, war, woollen material used for clothing is made from locally produced wool, spun by women on drop-spindle, and woven by semi-professional weavers on portable looms set up within the winter season sunshine, or under the shade of the tree in summer season. Baskets, for the transport of any kind of burden-manufacture for that fields, fresh vegetables, even babies-are woven out of willow twigs, or a particular selection of grass. Woodwork is confined mainly towards the production of pillars and carved lintels for your houses, along with the low carved tables that are a feature of every Ladakhi living room.

Many such items, with each other with others recently introduced as part in the development process, are available in the District Hnadicrafts Centre at Leh, which exists to train local people in addition to to market their products. There 1 can find, in addition to traditional objects, a few special items like Pashmina shawls- rough compared with those produced in Srinagar, but soft and warm as only pure Pashmina can be: and carpets in designs and techniques borrowed from Tibet. Similar carpets are also to be had in the Tibetan Refugee Centre at Choglamsar.

Thangka Paintings
The Handicrafts Centre also has a department of Thanka painting. These icons on cloth are executed in accordance with strict guidelines handed down from previous generations. Inside the exact same tradition are the mural paintings within the Gompas, where semi-professionals, both monks and laymen about to keep the walls decorated with images symbolizing the various aspects in the Buddhist Way. The skill of building religious statues is also not extinct. The gigantic representation of Maitreya was installed in Thise Gompa as recently as the early 1980s.

New Areas
Even Rupshu's bare hills support a sparse population of wildlife, as well as the animal most likely to be spotted will be the Kyang, the wild Ass of the Ladakh and Tibet plateaux. Far more abundant are Marmots (ubiquitous on mountain slopes all more than Ladakh), Hares, and an unusual tail-less rat. The lakes are breeding-grounds for numerous species of birds. Chief amongst them are the bareheaded Goose, found in wonderful numbers around the Tso-moriri, the fantastic crested grebe, the Brahmini Duck (Ruddy Sheldrake) and the brown-headed Gull.

Ladakh Specifics
CHORTENS AND MANI WALLS
Among the more visible expressions of Buddhism in Ladakh are the chess pawn shaped Chortens at the entrance to villages and monasteries. These are the Tibetan equivalent in the Indian Stupa- large hemispherical burial mounds cum devotional objects, prominent in Buddhist ritual since the 3rd century BC.

About Chortens
Made of mud, stone and now also concrete, many Chortens were erected as acts of piety by Ladakhi nobles, and like their southern cousins, they are imbued with mystical powers and symbolic significance: the tall tapering spire, normally divided into thirteen sections, represents the soul's progression in direction of nirvana, even though the sun cradled with the crescent moon at the top stands for that unity of opposites, and the oneness of existence and also the universe.

Some contain sacred manuscripts that, like the chortens, wither and decay in time, illustrating the central Buddhist doctrine of impermanence. Those enshrined in monasteries, however, usually made of solid silver and encrusted with semi precious stones, contain the ashes or relics of revered 'Rinpoches' (incarnate Lamas).

Always pass a Chorten in a clockwise direction: the ritual of circumambulation mimics the passage with the planets through the heavens, and is believed to ward off evil spirits. The largest array is to be found in the desert east of Shey, the former money, but look out for that giant, brightly painted specimen among the bus station and Leh bazaar whose red spire stands out against the snowy Stok Kangri mountains towards the south.

The Mani Wall
A brief way downhill from your big Chorten, near the radio station, stands an even more monumental symbol of devotion. The 500-metre Mani Wall, erected by King Deldan Namgyal in 1635, is one of several at essential religious sites around Ladakh. Ranging from a couple of metres to more than a kilometre in duration, the walls are made of hundreds of thousands of stones, each inscribed with prayers or sacred mantras - normally the invocation Om Mani Padme Hum: "Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus". It goes without saying that such stones should never be removed.

WEDDING CEREMONIES of Ladakh Jammu Kashmir
A visitor to Ladakh seldom has a chance to see a Buddhist wedding performance according towards the aged customs and ceremonies. Today too a lot foreign influence is likely to have crept in; European clothing is slowly replacing the traditional dress.

The celebration begins in the morning at the house with the bride. The all male party celebrated with Chang, which, according to custom, one must just take in three consecutive draughts. As a special sign the host improved the 'Chang' by adding butter. A celebration meal is served within the afternoon, but again only men partook.

The bride continues to be in her mother's kitchen, symbolically indicating where her location is! Clothed in a wedding gown with a silver embroidered cape, decorated with outdated family jewellery, the bride is overwhelmed with lucky white ribbons and given gifts of money by her relatives and friends. Although the men sing and the mother laments, the bride then goes towards the family from the bridegroom, where she is met, in front with the house, by Lamas.

The Celebrations
Now the celebration appropriate begins. In a lengthy ceremony, in which the bride must initial of all refuse the food which is offered to her, the bride is led from her father or a buddy with the household, to her husband, with whom she then symbolically partakes of a meal. She is then demonstrated the home, with specific emphasis on the kitchen. By sunrise the ceremony is concluded, but not the celebration, which is a social event for your households with musicians, foods and significantly, a lot Chang.

FUNERAL CEREMONIES
Close to to the palaces at Stok, Shey and Leh one might notice a significant number of Chortens, the aged 'pleasure gardens' from the kings of Ladakh. If 1 goes in to the aspect valley, towards the north east of Leh, on whose eastern slopes the street towards the Nubra valley starts, one could locate a Lare stone exactly where a curious funeral practice was when conducted. The bodies with the dead had been hacked to pieces and ground up with stones then left to be devoured by vultures. This apply was also adopted in Tibet and it is still followed in the Mustang region of Nepal.

Right now the internet site of dismemberment is utilised for cremations. Following a ceremony within the residence from the dead individual the corpse is tied up inside a coated Sedan chair. Accompanied by Lamas the procession tends to make its way into the aspect valley close to Leh. Several hundred metres northwest of the Chortens the procession halts and also the chair is positioned inside a walled oven. This is truly only a vertical tube with fire hole underneath. The fire is started with numerous prayers and in the course of the lengthy ceremony oil is regularly thrown in to the oven until the cremation is total. The ashes are scattered right into a holy river or inside the case of an individual of large standing, placed in a Chorten.

BEACON HIGHWAY
The beacon highway leads from Leh into the Nubra valley more than a move at 5,606 metres - generating it most likely the greatest road inside the world. 'You might have dialogue with god' based on the highway builder's indication! Only in September and October is the road open up, at other instances ice handles the road around the northern side from the Nubra valley. For foreigners the road is closed yr round considering that the Nubra valley is within the restricted location and may only be visited with unique permission.

CHOGLAMSAR
Choglamsar may be the primary teaching place for Buddhist monks in Ladakh. Because the Chinese invasion of Tibet the college of Buddhist philosophy school, on the correct hand facet from the street from Leh to Hemis, has turn into an important centre for your study of Tibetan literature and history and of Buddhist philosophy in its pure type. A lot of westerners, interested in Buddhist learning and meditation, have also studied here. Choglamsar has an substantial syllabus and its library is worth seeing, even for your casual visitor.

In 1977 the previous bridge at Sonam Ling was changed having a new one capable to get heavy autos. You can find Mani stones inside the village of Palam, which features a mixed Buddhist and Muslim population. The Hemis Stangna-Palam road is quite tough and you will find some river crossings to be made but there is a standard bus link.

The People of Ladakh Area
People & Their Life
The traveller from India will look in vain for similarities between the land and folks he has left and those he encounters in Ladakh. The faces and physique with the Ladakhis, and also the clothes they wear, are a lot more akin to those of Tibet and Central Asia than of India.

The original population may possibly have been Dards, an Indo- Aryan race from down the Indus. But immigration from Tibet, probably a millennium or so ago, largely overwhelmed the culture with the "Dards" and obliterated their racial characteristics. In eastern and central Ladakh, today's population seems to be mostly of Tibetan origin.

Further west, in and close to Kargil, there is certainly much in the people's appearance that suggests a blended origin. In fact, entire Baltistan (the districts of Skardu, Ganche in POK and Kargil in India) is really a heterogeneous mixture of various ethnic groups such as Tibetan, Central Asian, Mongolian and Indo-Iranian. It is believed that the dominant community of those times, the Tibetans intermingled with other ethnic groups thereby giving rise to a brand new community altogether - known as the Arghons. Those who have created careful assessment from the local population indicate that the Arghons today constitute greater than half of it whereas the Tibetans are practically 35 % of the population. Rest of the population is formed of Mons, Tatars, Indo-Iranians, Dards and some Arab families. Majority in the individuals speak Balti dialect with as much as 93% of men and women here claiming it tobe their mother tongue.

The Balti individuals live in an region which is highly essential in terms of its geo-strategic place. The trade routes that as soon as passed through it had been the economic lifeline with the folks living right here. Situated just south to the Himalayan peak K2, the erstwhile region of Baltistan (called Baltiyul inside the Balti language) was located in the direction of north of Kashmir. This area also borders the Chinese province of Xinjiang. These days the region stands divided between India and Pakistan. The districts of Skardu and Ganche are located inside the Pakistan occupied Kashmir, though India has never given up its claim more than these areas. The district of Kargil is the Indian part of Baltistan and is located within the northern most state of India, Jammu and Kashmir.

Influence Of Buddhism
Buddhism reached Tibet from India via Ladakh, and you'll find ancient Buddhist frock engravings allover the region, even in areas like Drass along with the lower Suru valley which today re-inhabited by an exclusively Muslim population. The divide between Muslim and Buddhist Ladakh passes through Mulbekh (on the Kargil-Leh Road) and between the villages of Parkachik and Randum within the Suru Valley, though you can find pockets of Muslim population further east, in Padum (Zanskar), in Nura Valley and in and around Keg.

The approach to a Buddhist Village is invariably marked by 'Mani' walls, which are ling chest-high structures faced with engraved stones bearing the Mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum" and by 'Chorten', commemorative cairns, like stone pepper-posts. Many villages are crowned with a 'Gompa' or monastery, which may possibly be anything from an imposing complex of temples, prayer halls and monks' dwellings, to a tiny hermitage housing a single image and residence to a solitary Lama.
The Muslim Inhabitants
Islam too came through the west. A peaceful penetration with the 'Shia' sect spearheaded by missionaries, its success was guaranteed by the early conversion in the Sub-rulers of Drass, Kargil and also the Suru Valley. In these areas, 'Mani' walls and Chorten are changed by mosques often-small unpretentious buildings, or 'Imambaras' imposing structures in the Islamic style, surmounted by domes of sheet metal that gleam cheerfully in the sun.

Status Of Women In Ladakh
The demeanour from the people is affected by their religion, especially among the ladies. Among the Buddhists, as also the Muslims from the Leh area, women not only work within the home and field, but also do business and interact freely with men other than their own relations.

In Kargil and its adjoining regions on the other hand, it is only in the last few years that girls are merging from semi-seclusion and taking jobs other than traditional types like farming and house-keeping.

Traditional Rituals & Leisure Activities
The natural joie-de-vivre of the Ladakhis is provided free rein by the ancient traditions with the area. Monastic and other religious festivals, many of which fall in winter, provide the excuse for convivial gatherings. Summer pastimes all over the area are archery and polo. Among the Buddhists, these frequently develop into open-air parties accompanied by dance and song, at which 'Chang', the local brew made from fermented barley, flows freely.

Religious Harmony
With the secular culture, the most critical element is the rich oral literature of songs and poems for every situations, together with local versions in the "Kesar Saga", the Tibetan national epic. This literature is common to both Buddhists and Muslims. In fact, the most highly developed versions from the Kesar saga, and some in the most exuberant and lyrical songs are said to be found in Shakar-Chigtan an location from the western Kargil district exclusively inhabited by Muslims, unfortunately not freely open to tourists yet.

Ceremonies
Ceremonial and public events are accompanied by the characteristic music of 'Surna' and 'Daman' (Oboe and drum), originally introduced into Ladakh from Muslim Baltistan, but now played only by Buddhist musicians known as "Mons".

When a child is born the family usually holds a festival for their relatives, neighbours and friends right after the initial 15 days, at age one month and following a year. All are invited to come to the house and are provided 'Tsampa', butter and sugar, along with tea to eat and drink all day.

Wedding Process & Celebrations
When a marriage occurs festivities again continue all day with musicians and dancing. The first day is spent in feasting at the bride's residence, the second at the groom's spot. When the daughter with the household marries she goes to live in the home of her husband's partner. Boys are usually married or promised for marriage at about 16, girls at about 12. To generate a proposal a relative in the boy goes to the home in the girl and gives a ring together with presents of butter, tea and 'Chang'. If the gifts are accepted then the marriage follows some months later.

The boy offers a necklace and clothes towards the girl. The parents in the girl give the couple clothes, animals and land if they are rich. These gifts are known as a "Raqtqaq" or dowry. When the father of the loved ones dies his location is taken by the eldest brother. The other brothers should obey the eldest brother. All inheritance with the household goes to the eldest brother and then to the next brother when he dies.

If the loved ones consists of all girls, then the father will bring the husband in the eldest daughter into the residence and all land stays within the daughter's name and passes to her 1st son. Both sets of parents ought to accept the proposal from the boy for the girl. Usually the marriage is set by both sets of parents, who will choose a suitable partner for their child on the basis of manner, health and ability to earn income and look right after a home.
Prime Attractions of Ladakh

Zanskar
About 20-km south of Rangdum stands the Pazila watershed across which lies Zanskar, the most isolated of all the trans Himalayan Valleys. The Panzela Top (4,401 m) may be the picturesque tableland adorned with two small alpine lakes and surrounded by snow-covered peaks.

Hemis
Thanks to the Hemis Setchu festival - 1 from the few held in summer, when the passes are open - Hemis, 45-km southeast of Leh, is the most famous Gompa in Ladakh.

Sankar Gompa Sankar Gompa, 3-km north with the town centre, is among the most accessible monasteries in central Ladakh - hence its limited visiting hours for tourists

Alchi
Driving past around the nearby Srinagar-Leh highway, you'd never guess that this can be 1 of the most substantial historical sites in Asia.

Baltoro Glacier
The Baltoro glacier is situated around the southern slopes from the central Karakoram Range in the Baltistan area of Jammu and Kashmir. The place of Boltoro is in a large arena hemmed by higher peaks.

Baralacha Move
On the lengthy Manali -Leh highway and providing a route across the Baralacha range is the famous Baralacha Move. It is situated at a spectacular 16,400 ft above sea level. The pass itself is 8-km long, and is also literally the pass "where several roads meet".

Biafo Glacier The Biafo glacier is located on the south-facing slopes with the Karakoram Range within the Baltistan location of Ladakh. It has a length of about 60-km and descends from a huge glacial trough.

Dah-Hanu
Dah and Hanu are places on the far side from the great Indus River on the far aspect of Leh. Surrounded by the great Hindu - Kush mountains and peopled by a hardy but gentle individuals who have a bank of strange legends to relate for your weary traveller's ears.

Dosmoche
An ancient tradition began by the kings of Ladakh, Docmoche is nonetheless celebrated every year in February with great pomp and fervour. The courtyard from the chapel below the gates of the Leh of the Leh Palace comes alive with the music of drums and the thumping steps from the masked Lamas from different monasteries performing the sacred dance-drama.

Hemis FestivalThe climbing season extends from mid - May possibly to mid -October, the ideal period being from June to September because throughout this time only Ladakh remains unaffected by the monsoon, which holds sway more than most with the Himalayas. Foreign climbing expeditions are required to obtain permission from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation for climbing all listed peaks. A booking fee, determined by the height and popularity in the allotted peak, is charged and a Liasion Officer is assigned to every climbing team. The minimum period required for processing applications is six months. Every authorized expedition is offered with adequate rescue coverage in the events of accidents and illness.

Useful Information - Ladakh
Peak Season Reservations
Throughout the peak tourist season i.e. early June to mid-September, it is advisable to book hotel rooms in advance. By late September, as the tourist rush commences to decline, advance booking is not necessary as availability of accommodation becomes rather easy. However, tourists planning winter trips could have to book accommodation in advance so as to ensure provision of heating arrangement s for the duration of the period of their intended stay.

Communication:
Kargil has worldwide direct dialing telephone facility, besides post and telegraph offices. In addition J&K Tourism operates its own wireless Radio phone network with field stations at Kargil, Padum and Leh which are connected with controlling stations at Srinagar, Delhi and Jammu. For the duration of the tourist season mobile wireless stations are also established in key places in the remote areas.

Hospitals
The District hospital in Kargil is fairly nicely equipped and staffed with a team of specialist and general practitioners. In addition you will find Medical Dispensaries at Drass, Mulbek, Trespone, Sankoo, Panikhar and Padum each headed by a qualified doctor and equipped with basic health care paraphernalia.

Tourist Information Centres
The Tourist office right here frequently updates its store of information on the area. Tourists undertaking mountaineering expedition on hard trekking alongside difficult routes are well advised to inform the Tourist Office at Kargil about their routes and proposed program so as to monitor their welfare.

A Word of Caution - Ladakh
INNER-LINE RESTRICTIONS
Entry of tourists beyond one mile north of Zoji-la-Drass-Bodhkarby-Khalatse street is limited. However, on the Khalatse-Leh street, the monasteries of Tia-Tingmosgang, Rhizong, Likir and Phiyang can be visited even though these fall north from the street. Similarly, tourists are allowed to visit Shey, Thikse, Chemrey and Thak-Thok lying north from the Leh-Upshi street.
The Leh-Manali street is also open up to one mile east of its general alignment. Although the northeastern and northern regions of Ladakh are now partially opened for foreign tourists, you will find required to obtain permission in the Deputy Commissioner, Leh. That is only subject to many condition of travelling alongside specified identified tour circuits in groups of four or far more. Permission to enter to other restricted areas may be sought from:

The Ministry Of Home Affairs,
Government Of India,
Lok Nayak Bhavan,
Khan Market, New Delhi
1 in the most popular monastic selections in Ladakh, the festival of them is symbolises the centuries-old traditions from the Kar-gyur-pa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Hemis Higher Altitude Wildlife Sanctuary The Hemis Higher Altitude National Park incorporates the catchments of two valleys, which drain into the River Indus. It is named after the famous monastery -- Hemis, and sprawls more than 600-sq-km inside the Markha And Rumbak valleys.

Karakoram Pass The Karakoram Move lies on one with the best trade routes within the world for Yarkand in Central Asia.

Khardong La & Digar La Pass The Khardong La pass is situated at an incredible elevation of over 5,800 m (18,680 ft). It lies around the route between Leh along with the Shyok and Nubra valleys

Lakes in Ladakh
The Tso Morari Lake is one in the largest lakes in Ladakh region and is also virtually like an inland sea. At an altitude of virtually 4,500 meters, the Pangong Tso is only 8-km wide at its broadest but is an amazing 134-km lengthy. Kyaghr lake may be the halting place for trekkers moving through the Kiangdum camping ground to the Tsomorari Lake.

Lamayuru
If one sight could be said to sum up Ladakh, it would have to be Lamayuru Gompa, 130-km west of Leh. Hemmed in by a moonscape of scree covered mountains, the white washed medieval monastery towers above a scruffy cluster of tumbledown mud brick houses in the top of the close to vertical, weirdly eroded cliff.

Likkir
6-km to the north of the main Leh-Srinagar highway, shortly before the village of Saspol, the significant and wealthy Gompa of Likkir, residence to around 1 hundred monks, is renowned for its enormous yellow statue from the Buddha to come which towers above the terraced fields and village below.

Losar
Losar may be the most elaborate of all the socio -religious events of Ladakh. It involves the entire population of the area. Interestingly, the rites and rituals are a mixture of Buddhist as well as the pre Buddhist Bon religious practices.

Matho
Matho, 27-km south of Leh, straddles a spur at the mouth of an idyllic facet valley. Though no less interesting or scenically situated than its neighbours, the Gompa sees comparatively few visitors.

Matho Nagrang
Around the 15th day of the 1st Tibetan month, a 2-day festival is held at the Matho Monastery - the only Saskyapa monastic establishment in Ladakh.

Monastic Festivals

The monastic festivals are the events that provide the average Ladakhi with the spice of life. No other festival can match them in religious and entertainment value. These festivals are held to commemorate the founding of the monastery, the birthday of its patron saint or key events inside the evolution of Tibetan Buddhism.

Mulbekh
West of Lamayuru, the main street crawls to the top of Fatu-la (4,091m), the best move between Leh and Srinagar, and then ascends Namika-la ("Sky Pillar"), so called because in the jagged pinnacle of rock that looms above it towards the south.

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa As soon as one is acclimatized to the altitude, the stiff early morning hike up to Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, the monastery perched precariously around the shaly crag behind Leh palace, is really a great way to start the day.

Nubra Glacier
The Nubra glacier is located around the southern slopes in the Karakoram Range in the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a significant glacier located in a huge amphitheater that's ringed by towering peaks.

Padum When the capital with the ancient kingdom of Zanskar, Padum (3,505 m) will be the present day administrative headquarters with the region. With a population of nearly one,500, Padum may be described as the most populous settlement of Zanskar, otherwise a extremely scarcely inhabited valley.

Panamic
Right after a cleansing trip to the hot springs, exactly where two rooms each have a deep tub filled with piping hot sulphurous water, where's little to do in Panamic other than walk. A dot around the mountainside across the river, Ensa Gompa makes an obvious excursion.

Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso, 154-km to the southeast of Leh, is 1 in the largest salt-water lakes in Asia, a lengthy narrow strip of water stretching from Ladakh east into Tibet. Only a quarter in the 130-km-long lake is in Ladakh, and the Indian army, who experienced bitter losses along its shores inside the war against China in 1962, guard their aspect of the frontier.

Phyang
A mere 24-km west of Leh, Phyang Gompa looms big at the head of the secluded facet valley that tapers north into the rugged Ladakh range from the Srinagar highway.

Phyang Tsedup
Phyang is 1 from the two Dringungpa Monasteries in Ladakh. This monastery 17-km west of Leh, holds its festival in July/august. Like other monastic festivals, sacred dance-dramas or 'chhams' type the core of this festival.

River Rafting
Although water ranges are substantial, between the finish of June and late August, Leh's a lot more entrepreneurial travel agents operate rafting journeys on the river Indus

Sankoo
A picturesque expanse surrounded by colourful rocky mountains, Sankoo is an upcoming township with a tiny bazaar and several villages about. Dense plantations of Poplers, Willows, Myricarea and wild Roses fill the bowl shaped valley, giving it the ambience of a man-made forest tucked within the mountain ramparts.

 

Siachen Glacier
The Siachen glacier lies within the extreme north-central portion of Jammu and Kashmir close to the border of India and Tibet. With a length of about 72-km, Siachen is called the biggest glacier in the world outside the Polar Areas.

Sind Valley
Regarded as by several to become probably the most stunning of Kashmir's facet valleys, the Sind can also be the entry route to the Zoji la move.

Sindhu Darshan Festival
The Sindhu Darshan or Sindhu Festival aims at projecting the Indus as being a symbol of India's unity and communal harmony. While selling tourism to this region, this festival is also a symbolic salute to the brave soldier of India.

Siser La Or Saser La
Siser La is a higher mountain move in northern Ladakh within the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies on one in the greatest trade routes within the world for Yarkand in Central Asia.

Stok
Just beyond the Tibetan refugee camp at Choglamsar, a aspect road turns left off the highway to cross the Indus on an iron bridge plastered with prayer flags, and then continues up in direction of a huge Tv mast.

Stongdey/ Stongde Monastery
The monastery of Stongdey lies 18-km towards the north of Padum, on the highway major to Zangla. An previous foundation related to the Tibetan Yogi, Marpa, Stongdey is now the 2nd largest monastic establishment of Zanskar

Sumur
Quickly soon after passing Khalsar, the street crosses the confluence in the Shyok and Nubra to a patch of green sloping through the river towards the base of precipitous mountains. Sumur is property towards the Nubbra valley's most significant monastery,

Suru Valley
The Suru Valley is shaped from the catchment are in the SuruRiver, which rises in the Panzella glacier.

The Nubra Valley
The eighteen,640 feet large Khardung La pass types the divide between the Nubra Valley and Leh. Following crossing the Khardung La, one descends to some location referred to as "Khalsar", situated around the left financial institution of the Shyok River.

Tulimpati La
The Tulimpati La is situated in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kahsmir. This pass opens up the route from your Nubra Valley of Ladakh in the direction of the Karakoram Move.

Zozi La
Zoji La is a renowned move more than the primary Himalayan array on the Srinagar-Leh highway. As being a issue of reality, this pass has usually been termed because the gateway to Ladakh.

Buddhism In Ladakh
Although the Islamic impact extends out from the Kashmir valley so far as Kargil in Ladakh, the predominant religion is overwhelmingly the Tibetan, Lamaist type of Buddhism.

Chemrey
Clinging like a swallow's nest to the sides of the shaly conical hill, the spectacular Gompa of Chemrey sees quite few visitors due to its location - tucked up the facet valley that runs from Karu, under Hemis, towards the Chang-la move into Pangong.

Chong Kumdan Glacier
The Chong Kumdan glacier is situated on the reduce slopes in the Karakoram Variety. It really is located in a trough which is surrounded by substantial peaks on all sides. The melt-water from this glacier flows into the Shyok River, which consequently joins the Indus River. The Chong Kumdan glacier had blocked the flow of the Shyok River many occasions previously. Therefore the Gapshan Lake was shaped which drained away once the ice dam gave way. This glacier can be approached by way of Skardu in Ladakh.

Dances Of Ladakh
Ladakhi Dances are really colourful and majestic. The slow and delicate movements of those dances are really nicely complemented with the richness of jewelled 'Peraks', Silver ornaments and wealthy new music.

Diskit And Hundur
The caramel brown hillside previously mentioned the old city supports Diskit's picturesque Gompa, developed in 1420 by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong-kha-pa.

Gasherbrum Glacier
The Gasherbrum glacier is located on the southern slopes in the Karakoram Assortment inside the Baltistan area of Ladakh. It lies at the base in the Gasherbrum peak and has a duration of about 26-km. The melt-water from this glacier joins the Shyok river technique. Glaciers in hanging valleys open into the primary glacier. No vegetation grows in this tract because of the extreme circumstances of cold. This glacier might be approached via Skardu in Ladakh.

Gu-Stor
Gu-Stor practically means 'Sacrifice of the 29th day'. It's traditional towards the monasteries from the reformist Geluk-pa purchase of Tibetan Buddhism. This two-day long festival is held mainly inside the Spituk, Thiksay (also spelt as Thiksey) and Karsha (Zanskar) monasteries, at distinct times every yr. s

Hispur Glacier
Located on the southern slopes from the Karakoram Array in the Baltistan area of Ladakh is Hispar Glacier.

Rakaposhi Glacier
Rakaposhi glacier is situated around the reduce slopes from the Karakoram Variety in the Gilgit region of Ladakh. It is tenanted around the north-facing slopes from the Rakaposhi massif. The Rakaposhi glacier feeds an eastern tributary with the Hunza River, which consequently flows in to the Indus River. The Rakaposhi glacier lies inside a trough whose bottom carefully slopes toward the north and northwest. Boulders and rocks are strewn all over the surface area. This glacier might be approached via Gilgit within the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rupshu
Situated east of Zanskar, the restricted location of Rupshu is Ladakh's easternmost and most elevated area, blending into western Tibet's high plains. Actually, topographically, although not politically, Rupshu is an integral component from the Chang Tang, Tibet's 600-mile-wide, fifteen,000-foot high northern steppes, of which it's the westernmost extremity.

Saltoro Glacier
The Saltoro glacier is located on the southern slopes from the Karakoram Assortment in Ladakh. Situated in a cirque with the Saltoro massif, this glacier feeds 1 from the two primary streams in the Saltoro River, which in turn drains in to the Shyok River.

Shyok Valley & Indus Valley
Indus is actually a significant valley formed by the primary channel in the Indus River as it flows across Ladakh. The Shyok Valley is the valley from the Shyok River -- the river of death. This is actually a "Yarkandi" (Central Asian) name, probably given from the Central Asian traders
Thak Thok Gompa
Clustered about a lumpy outcrop of eroded rocks, 4-km up the valley from Chemrey, the modest Gompa of Thak Thok (pronounced Tak Tak and meaning "top of the rocks") is the sole representative in Ladakh with the ancient Nyingmapa purchase.

Zangla
Lying deep in the northern arm of Zanskar in the end in the 35-km long rough road from Padum, Zangla was being ruled by a titular king till his death in 1989. The aged castle now in ruins except from a little chapel, occupies a hill, overlooking the desertic valley beneath.

Zongkhul
A spectacular cave monastery of Zanskar, Zongkhul falls around the Padum-Kishtwar trekking trail, just before the ascent of Omasi-la Move begins.

Significance - Ladakh

Historical
For close on 900 years through the middle in the 10th century, Ladakh was an independent kingdom, its dynasties descending from your kings of old Tibet. Its political fortunes ebbed and flowed more than the centuries, an the kingdom, was at its greatest within the early 17th century below the popular King Senge Namgyal, whose rule extended across Spiti and western Tibet up towards the Mayum-la past the sacred sites of Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.

And gradually, perhaps partly as a result of the fact that it was politically stable, in contrast to the lawless tribes further west, Ladakh became recognized as the best trade route between the Punjab and central Asia. For centuries, caravans carrying textiles and spices, raw silk and carpets, dyestuffs and narcotics traversed it.

Trade In Ladakh
Heedless in the land's rugged terrain and apparent remoteness merchants entrusted their goods to relays of pony transporters who took about two months to carry them from Amritsar towards the Central Asian Towns of Yarkand and Khotan. On this long route, Leh was the halfway house, and produced into a bustling entrepot, its bazaars thronged with merchants from far countries.

The popular "Pashm" (better referred to as Cashmere) also came down in the high-altitude Plateaux of eastern Ladakh and western Tibet where it was produced, by way of Leh to Srinagar, where skilled artisans transformed it from a matted oily mass of goat's below fleece into shawls known the world more than for their softness and warmth.

Ironically, it was this lucrative trade that finally spelt the doom of the independent kingdom. It attracted the covetous gaze of Gulab Singh, the ruler of Jammu inside the early 19th century, and in 1834, he sent his general Zorawar Singh to invade Ladakh. There followed a decade of war and turmoil, which ended with the emergence with the British as the paramount power in neighbouring province of Baltistan was incorporated into the newly created State of Jammu and Kashmir. Just over a century later, this union was disturbed becoming part of Pakistan, although Ladakh remained in India as being a part from the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

ANCIENT ROUTES
The Caravan Route To Leh
Ladakh's position in the centre of the network of trade routes traditionally kept it in constant touch with the outdoors world. From Chinese Central Asia, the mightily Karakoram Array was breached at the Karakoram move, a giddy eighteen,350 Ft (5,600m).

The trail from Yarkand crossed five other passes, of which probably the most feared was the glacier-encumbered Saser-la, north of Nubra. Travellers from Tibet could take one of two principal routes from the Central component in the country, the Tsang-po valley, they could move the holy sites of Kailash Mansarovar and reach Gartok, on a tributary of the upper Indus, from where they followed the river down to Leh.

Trade using the 'Pashm'-producing areas of western Tibet flowed by a much more northerly route, taking the village of Rudok, a few miles into Tibet, and from there across to Chushul on the Pangong-tso, up the size of the lake to Tangse, then a cross the 18,300feet (5,578m) Chang-la to the Indus, and so to Leh.

Baltistan, joined administratively with Ladakh for 100 years, was linked to it either through the Indus up to its confluence with the Suru-Shingo river, and on up to Kargil: or by the Chorbat-la pass over the Ladakh assortment, the trail dropping down to the Indus 40 km beneath Khalatse, and next the river up to Leh.

Still Following The Previous Path!
The two principal approaches to Ladakh from south in the Himalayas are roughly the same as today's motor roads in the Srinagar and Manali. The merchants and pilgrims who created up the majority of travellers within the pre modern era, traveled on foot or horseback, taking about 16 days to reach Srinagar; even though a guy inside a hurry, ridding non-stop and with changes of horse arranged ahead of time all along the route, could do it in as little as three days.

The mails, carried in relays by runners stationed every single four miles or so, took four or five days. That was before the wheel like a indicates of transport was introduced into Ladakh, which happened only when the Srinagar- Leh motor-road was built as recently because the early 1960s.

Mythological
ORACLES AND ASTROLOGERS

The Ladakhi's believe implicitly within the affect of gods and spirits around the material world, and undertake no significant enterprise without taking this affect into consideration.

The Lamas are the vital intermediaries between the human and the spirit worlds. Not only do they perform the rites necessary to propitiate the Gods - in private houses as wall as within the Gompa temples; they also usually take on the role of astrologers and oracles who can predict the auspicious time for starting any enterprise, whether ploughing the fields, or taking within the harvest, arranging a marriage or going on a journey - and advise as towards the auspicious strategy for going about it.

The Matho Gompa Oracle
Probably the most popular monk oracles are individuals of Matho Gompa. Chosen every three years by a traditional procedure, two monks spend several months inside a rigorous regimen of prayer and fasting to prepare and purify themselves for their arduous role. When the time comes they are possessed by the deity, whose spirit enables them to perform feats that would be impossible to anyone in a normal state such as cutting themselves with knives, or sprinting along the Gompa's topmost parapet. On this condition, they will answer questioned put to them concerning individual and public welfare. However, the spirit is said to be able to detect questions asked by skeptical observers using the intention of testing him, and to react with frenzied anger.

Based On Local Beliefs
There are also in some villages lay people, men and women, who have special powers as oracles and healers. Some of them belong to families in which there have been numerous such receptacles of spirit forces. Others are diagnosed as such without any hereditary background.

The spirits possessing these lay persons are believed to become capricious, and not always entirely benevolent, and some people resist being possessed by them. As soon as they have accepted, however, they undergo a process of initiation and training by monks and senior of oracles, and only following this is completed could they start practising. The effectiveness of their spirit healing is definitely an article of faith with the Ladakhis.

Cultural
ORACLES AND ASTROLOGERS
The Ladakhi's believe implicitly in the impact of gods and spirits on the material globe, and undertake no main enterprise without taking this affect into consideration.

The Lamas are the vital intermediaries among the human and the spirit worlds. Not only do they perform the rites necessary to propitiate the Gods - in private houses as wall as in the Gompa temples; they also frequently take around the role of astrologers and oracles who can predict the auspicious time for starting any enterprise, whether ploughing the fields, or taking in the harvest, arranging a marriage or going on a journey - and advise as to the auspicious means of going about it.

The Matho Gompa Oracle
Probably the most renowned monk oracles are those of Matho Gompa. Chosen every three years by a standard procedure, two monks spend many months inside a rigorous regimen of prayer and fasting to prepare and purify themselves for their arduous role. When the time comes they are possessed by the deity, whose spirit enables them to perform feats that would be impossible to anyone inside a normal state such as cutting themselves with knives, or sprinting along the Gompa's topmost parapet. On this condition, they will answer questioned put to them concerning individual and public welfare. However, the spirit is said to become able to detect questions asked by skeptical observers using the intention of testing him, and to react with frenzied anger.

Based On Local Beliefs
There are also in some villages lay people, men and women, who have special powers as oracles and healers. Some of them belong to families in which there have been several such receptacles of spirit forces. Others are diagnosed as such without any hereditary background.

The spirits possessing these lay persons are believed to become capricious, and not always entirely benevolent, and some people resist being possessed by them. When they have accepted, however, they undergo a process of initiation and training by monks and senior of oracles, and only right after this is completed may they start practising. The effectiveness of their spirit healing is definitely an article of faith using the Ladakhis.

Present
ARCHERY AND POLO
In Leh, and several with the villages, archery festivals are held during the summer months, having a lot of fun and fanfare. They are competitive events, the surrounding villages all sending teams, and the shooting takes place according to strict etiquette, to the accompaniment with the songs of Surna and Daman (oboe and drum).

As critical as the archery are the interludes of dancing and other entertainment. Chang, the local barley beer, flows freely, but there is rarely any rowdiness. The crowd attend in their; Sunday best, the men invariable in classic dress, and the women wearing their brightest brocade mantles and their heaviest jewelley. Archery could be the pretext for the gathering, but the party's the thing.

The Standard Sport Of Polo
Polo is classic to the western Himalayas, especially to Baltistan and Gilgit. It was almost certainly introduced into Ladakh in the mid-17th century by King Sengge (also spelt as Singe) Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. The game played here differs in many respects in the international game, which indeed, is adapted from what British travellers saw in the western Himalayas and Manipur inside the 19th century.

Here, each team consists of six players, and the game lasts for an hour having a ten-minute break. Altitude not withstanding, the hardy local ponies-the best of which come from Zanskar - scarcely seem to suffer, although play could be fast and furious. Each and every goal is greeted by a burst of new music from Surna and Daman; and the players typically show extraordinary skill. For example, when starting play soon after a goal the scorer gallops up to midfield holding ball and mallet inside the correct hand, and throws the ball, hitting it in the same movement towards the opposite goal.

Fairs & Festivals - Ladakh
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
The religious philosophy of Buddhism, however, profound and subtle doesn't preclude and immense joie-de-vivre among its Ladakhi adhe-rents, and even solemn religious enactment's are produced the occasion for joyous celebration. Several from the annual festivals with the Gompa take location in winter, a relatively idle time for the majority from the people.

Colourful Events
They take the type of dance-dramas in the Gompa courtyards. Lamas, robed in colourful garments and wearing typically startlingly frightful masks, perform mimes representing different aspects of the religion such as the progress of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good more than evil.

Local people flock from close to and far to these events, and the spiritual benefits they get are no doubt heightened by their enjoyments in the party atmosphere, with crowds of women and men, the opportunity to make new friendships and renew outdated ones, the general bustle and sense of occasion.

Everyone's Invited
The largest and essentially the most famous in the monastic festivals, frequented by tourists and locals alike, is that of Hemis, which falls in July, and is dedicated to Padmasambhava, Each 12 years, the Gompa's greatest treasure, an enormous Thangka - a religious icon painted embroidered on cloth is ritually exhibited. The next unveiling is because of take spot inside a.D. 2004.

Other monasteries which have summer festivals are Lamayuru (also early July), Phiyang and Karsha in Zanskar (11 days right after Phiyang). Like Hemis, the Phiyang festival too involves the exhibition of the gigantic Thanka, even though here it truly is done every single yr.

Spituk, Stok, Thikse, Chemrey and Matho all have their festivals in winter, among November and March. Likir amd Deskit (Nubra) time their festivals to coincide with Dosmoche, the festival from the scapegoat, that is also celebrated with fervour at Leh.

The New Year Festivities
Falling in the 2nd half of February, Dosmoche is 1 of two New Calendar year festivals, the other being Losar. At Dosmoche, a great wooden mast decorated with streamers and religious emblems is set up outside Leh. In the appointed time, offerings of 'Storma', ritual figures moulded out of dough, are brought out and ceremonially cast away into the desert, or burnt. These scapegoats carry away with them the evil spirits with the previous year, and hence the city is cleansed and created ready to welcome the New Yr.

Losar falls about the instances the winter solstice, any time in the winter solstice, any time between 8th and 30th December. All Ladhaki Buddhists celebrate it by making offerings towards the gods, both in the gompas and in their domestic shrines.

Leisure - Ladakh
ARCHERY AND POLO
In Leh, and numerous with the villages, archery festivals are held during the summer months, having a lot of fun and fanfare. They are competitive events, the surrounding villages all sending teams, and the shooting takes place according to strict etiquette, to the accompaniment in the new music of Surna and Daman (oboe and drum).

As essential as the archery are the interludes of dancing and other entertainment. Chang, the local barley beer, flows freely, but there is rarely any rowdiness. The crowd attend in their; Sunday best, the men invariable in standard dress, and the women wearing their brightest brocade mantles and their heaviest jewelley. Archery may be the pretext for the gathering, but the party's the thing.

The Conventional Sport Of Polo
Polo is standard to the western Himalayas, especially to Baltistan and Gilgit. It was almost certainly introduced into Ladakh inside the mid-17th century by King Sengge (also spelt as Singe) Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. The game played here differs in a lot of respects in the international game, which indeed, is adapted from what British travellers saw in the western Himalayas and Manipur within the 19th century.

Here, each team consists of six players, and the game lasts for an hour having a ten-minute break. Altitude not withstanding, the hardy local ponies-the best of which come from Zanskar - scarcely seem to suffer, though play could be fast and furious. Each and every goal is greeted by a burst of new music from Surna and Daman; and the players typically show extraordinary skill. For example, when starting play after a goal the scorer gallops up to midfield holding ball and mallet inside the appropriate hand, and throws the ball, hitting it within the same movement toward the opposite goal.

Unlike the international game, polo in Ladakh is not exclusively for the rich. Traditionally, almost each village had its polo-ground, and even today it's played with verve in a lot of places besides Leh, especially in Dras (also spelt as Drass) and Chushot, a big village near to Leh. In Leh, it has been partly institutionalized with regular tournaments and occasional exhibition matches being played on the polo-ground in the takes a keen interest, especially in these matches in which a civilian team takes on the Army. Altogether, polo adds a unique kind of colour and excitement towards the summer in Leh.

How To Get There - Ladakh
Moving On
As befits India's remotest Himalayan city, Leh is singularly hard to get to, and even harder to leave. Fragile highway and air links mean visitors all too usually find themselves stranded waiting for passes to open or planes to appear. Wherever and however 1 travels, book an onward ticket as far in advance as possible and be prepared for delays if the weather changes.

Local Transport
INTERNAL TRANSPORT
The best and most reasonable way to journey inside the area way to journey inside the region is by public buses, which ply on fixed routes according to fixed time schedules. Probably the most comfortable and convenient by way of expensive mode of journey, however, is by taxis, cars, and Gypsy, which are available for hire on fixed point-to-Point tariff.
For visits towards the newly opened areas of Nubra, Changthang and Dah-Hanu it really is mandatory to engage the services of the registered/recognized journey agency for making all the requisite arrangements including internal transport. Detailed information about bus schedules, taxi tariff, journey agencies, etc. may be obtained in the Tourist Office.

By Street
Road JOURNEYS
The primary overland approach to Ladakh is from the Kashmir Valley by way of the 434-km Srinagar-Leh road, which remains open for traffic from early June to November. Essentially the most dramatic part of this street journey will be the ascent up the 11,500 feet /3,505 m higher Zoji-la, the passing the Great Himalayan Wall that serves as the gateway to Ladakh.

The J&K State Road Transport Corporation (J&KSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil. Taxis, cars and jeeps are also available at Srinagar for the journey. Groups can charter deluxe and A-class buses for Leh, Kargil or Padum (Zanskar) through the J and K SRTC at Srinagar.

Since 1989, the 473-km Manali-Leh highway has been serving as the second land approach to Ladakh. Open up for the traffic from about mid-June to early October, this high highway traverses the upland desert plateaux of Rupshu whose altitude ranges from 3,660m to 4,570m.

Numerous substantial passes fall en route among which the highest 1, called Taglang-la, will be the world's second highest motor able pass at an altitude of 17,469 feet/5,325m. H.P. Tourism, H.P. SRTC and J&K SRTC run Deluxe and Ordinary bus services among Manali and LEH. The bus journey in between Leh and Manali takes about 19 hours or two days with an overnight halt in camps at Serchu or Pang. Gypsy and jeep taxis are also available, both at Manali and Leh.

By Air
AIR Travel
The quickest way out of Ladakh region is by plane. Airline service operates regular scheduled flights to Leh from Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar. Some private airlines are also planning to run air services betwe4n Delhi and Leh inside the near future.

Places To Stay - Ladakh
Leh offers a range of accommodation to suit almost every pocket or preference. Most hotels are family-run establishments. Hotels are classified into A, B, C and Economy categories even though Guest Houses fall underneath Upper, Medium and Economy class. Tariff quoted in the meals, a program followed by most establishments. Tariff quoted in the A and B category hotels consists of all meals, a technique followed by most establishments.

The Guest Property can be a less formal facility offering rooms inside a component of the residential home or its annex, where the company can share the family kitchen for meals. As being a part from the low tariff offered for accommodation ranging from very good to merely basic, the Guest House program also provides an opportunity for the tourists to see and experience Ladakhi life from the inside.

In the newly opened areas of the region- Nubra, Changthang and Dah-Hanu- tourist infrastructure can also be been adequately formulated. The State Tourism Department has formulated accommodation facilities like Tourist complexes and Hikers Huts at Tangse and Spangmik around the Pangong lake circuit, Korzok around the Tso-moriri Lake, Deskit and Panamic within the Nubra Valley, and at Biama in the Drokpa location.

Camping Facilities
As an interim arrangement, the J and K Tourism Development Corporation has started offering furnished accommodation intended camps at Search around the Manali-Leh road, Deskit in Nubra valley and Pangong lake. Tourists could also seek accommodation as paying guest in a few selected homes in these places, by means of they would be properly, advised to travel fully equipped with personal sleeping bags and some tinned provisions to become around the safe facet, especially when visiting the Pangong and Tso-moriri lake areas.

There are also some Government - run Tourist Bungalows situated primarily along Leh Srinagar-Leh street. These offer the best value within the medium variety, but room availability is only if 1 holds a confirmed reservation. This is possible only if a written requisition has been sent to the Tourist Office at Leh or Kargil in advance.

Climate - Ladakh
Weather from the Cold Desert
Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 ft (2,750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri within the Karakoram. Hence summer temperatures rarely exceed about 270 C inside the shade, although in winter they may plummet to -200 C even in Leh. Surprisingly, although, the thin air makes the heat in the sun even far more intense than at lower altitudes; it truly is said that only in Ladakh can a guy sitting inside the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time!

General Information - Ladakh
Clothing
Zanskar experiences drastic fluctuations in the daily temperature even during the height of summer. Even though the days are pretty warm, even hot at occasions because of the desertic effect, the evenings can turn into fairly chilly therefore requiring additional clothing. It's advisable to become prepared for this situation with a pullover and a down jacket. Other essential items include a sturdy pair of walking shoes, a good sleeping bag, and a pair of woolen socks or some thick cotton socks. It's also essential to bring a quality tent if the intention is to travel or trek about on your own, and a good quality rucksack for back packing. It is also essential to carry your provisions from Srinagar or Kargil, if a longer tour of the adjoining villages is intended.

Location
Northern Most Component Of J&K.

Altitude
9,000m.

Best Time
June To Mid September
Trekking Season: May To Mid-October
Mountaineering Season: Mid-May To Mid-October

Activities
The climbing season extends from mid - May to mid -October, the ideal period being from June to September because during this time only Ladakh remains unaffected through the monsoon, which holds sway over most with the Himalayas. Foreign climbing expeditions are required to obtain permission from your Indian Mountaineering Foundation for climbing all listed peaks. A booking fee, based around the height and popularity with the allotted peak, is charged and a Liasion Officer is assigned to every single climbing team. The minimum period required for processing applications is six months. Each and every authorized expedition is provided with adequate rescue coverage in the events of accidents and illness.

Useful Information - Ladakh Peak Season Reservations
During the peak tourist season i.e. early June to mid-September, it's advisable to book hotel rooms in advance. By late September, as the tourist rush starts to decline, advance booking is not necessary as availability of accommodation becomes rather easy. However, tourists planning winter journeys might have to book accommodation in advance so as to ensure provision of heating arrangement s during the period of their intended stay.

Communication:
Kargil has worldwide direct dialing telephone facility, besides post and telegraph offices. In addition J&K Tourism operates its own wireless Radio phone network with field stations at Kargil, Padum and Leh which are connected with controlling stations at Srinagar, Delhi and Jammu. During the tourist season mobile wireless stations are also established in key places in the remote areas.

Hospitals
The District hospital in Kargil is fairly well equipped and staffed with a team of specialist and general practitioners. In addition there are Medical Dispensaries at Drass, Mulbek, Trespone, Sankoo, Panikhar and Padum each headed by a qualified doctor and equipped with basic health care paraphernalia.

Tourist Information Centres
The Tourist office here regularly updates its store of information on the area. Tourists undertaking mountaineering expedition on hard trekking along difficult routes are properly advised to inform the Tourist Office at Kargil about their routes and proposed program so as to monitor their welfare.

A Word of Caution - Ladakh
INNER-LINE RESTRICTIONS
Entry of tourists past 1 mile north of Zoji-la-Drass-Bodhkarby-Khalatse highway is limited. However, on the Khalatse-Leh highway, the monasteries of Tia-Tingmosgang, Rhizong, Likir and Phiyang might be visited though these fall north of the road. Similarly, tourists are allowed to visit Shey, Thikse, Chemrey and Thak-Thok lying north of the Leh-Upshi highway.

The Leh-Manali street can also be open up to one mile east of its general alignment. Though the northeastern and northern areas of Ladakh are now partially opened for foreign tourists, there are required to obtain permission from your Deputy Commissioner, Leh. This is only subject to a number of condition of travelling along certain identified tour circuits in groups of four or more. Permission to enter to other restricted areas can be sought from:

The Ministry Of Home Affairs,
Government Of India,
Lok Nayak Bhavan,
Khan Market, New Delhi