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Ladakh Places of Interest
Scattered
along the Indus Valley, both east and west of Leh, are other fascinating towns,
villages, monasteries and palaces. Some are visited by almost every traveller
who comes to Ladakh while others remain the preserve of the dedicated few.
Alchi
The Chaskor, or religious enclave, is one of the most important cultural sites
in Ladakh. Built in the 11 th century, it is a treasure trove of early Buddhist
art in the Kashmiri tradition, a style quite different from the Tibetan art
found in Ladakh's other monasteries. Also unlike other gompas, it is hidden
down by the river rather than in the more usual elevated position. This may
explain why it wasn't destroyed by the various invaders who have passed by throughout
the centuries. It was constructed under the supervision of Kaldan Shesrab, a
follower of Rinchen Zangpo, the man responsible for reviving interest in Buddhism
at that time. Alchi is one of the few remaining examples of that era. As this
is a popular stop on the tourist circuit there are a variety of places to stay.
The village and gompa are reached by crossing the Indus just beyond Saspol and
doubling back on yourself for about 2km. If you are walking it takes about one
hour from the bridge. There are daily buses from Leh at 4pm . They return to
Leh the following morning, leaving Alchi at 7am.
Zanskar
About 20 kms. South of Rangdum stands the Pazila watershed across which lies
Zanskar, the most isolated of all the trans Himalayan Valleys.
The Panzila Top (4401 m) is the picturesque tableland adorned with two small
alpine lakes and surrounded by snow covered peaks.As the Zanskar road winds
down the steep slopes of the watershed to the head of the Stod Valley, one of
Zanskar's main tributary valleys, the majestic "Drang-Drung" glacier
looms into full view. A long and winding river of ice and snow, the Drang-Drung"
is perhaps the largest glacier in Ladakh, outside the Siachen formation. It
is from the cliff-like snout of this extensive glacier that the Stod or Doda
River, the main tributary of river Zanskar, rises.
Zanskar comprises a tri-armed valley system lying between the Great Himalayan
Range and the Zanskar mountain; The three arms radiate star-like towards the
west, north and south from a wide central expanse where the region's two principal
drainage's meet to form the main Zanskar River. It is mainly along the course
of this valley system that the region's 10,000 strong, mainly Buddhists population
lives. Spread over an estimated geographical area of 5000 sq. kms. High rise,
mountains and deep gorges surround Zanskar. The area remains inaccessible for
nearly 8 months a year due to heavy snowfall resulting in closure of all the
access passes, including the Penzi-la. To-day, Zanskar has the distinction of
being the least interfered with microcosms of Ladakh, and one of the last few
surviving cultural satellites of Tibet. Within the mountain ramparts of this
lost Shangrila stand a number of ancient yet active monastic establishments.
Some of these religious foundations have evolved around remote meditation caves
believed to have been used by a succession of famous Buddhist saints for prolonged
meditation in pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment.
The 240 km long Kargil-Padun road, of which the first 90 km stretch is paved,
remains opened from around mid July to early November. In June, the summer is
at its height in the region and the climate is ideal for trekking along the
route free from vehicular traffic of any kind and when the countryside is freshly
rejuvenated into life after months of frigid dormancy.
Lamayuru
An old foundation associated with the Tibetan Yogi, Marpa, Lamayuru is now the
second largest monastic establishment of Zanskar, inhabited by the resident
community of about 60 Gelukpa monks. The sprawling whitewashed complex has a
number of temples, each a repository of the region's rich monastic legacy. Lamayuru
can be reached by foot in about 4 hours along the recently laid rough road.
The climb up to the monastery is rather strenuous, but it is worth the trouble
for the breathtaking scenery of the valley available from here.
Kargil
Kargil is the most important town in the Suru Valley. It is the headquarters
of Kargil District and has the most modern amenities, although not of the level
of those found in the plains of India. There are a number of other settlements
of significant size in the Suru Valley. Kargil is a fairly busy town servicing
the villages of the surrounding region. The important Srinagar-Leh road passes
through Kargil.
KARGIL (2704 m), 204 kms from Srinagar in the west and 234 kms from Leh in the
east, is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh and headquarters of the district
of same name. A quite town now, Kargil once served as important trade and transit
centre in the Pan-Asian trade network. Numerous caravans carrying exotic merchandise
comprising silk, brocade, carpets, felts, tea, poppy, ivory etc. transited in
the town on their way to and from China, Tibet, Yarkand and Kashmir. The old
bazaar displayed a variety of Central Asian and Tibetan commodities even after
the cessation of the Central Asian trade in 1949 till these were exhausted about
two decades back. Similarly the ancient trade route passing through the township
was lined with several caravanserais.
Situated 45 kms East of Kargil on the road to Leh, Mulbek (3230 m) in an area
dominated by the Buddhists. It is situated along either banks of the Wakha River,
which originates. Many monuments of the early Buddhists era dot the landscape
and are accessible from the road.
Shrey
This was the old capital and the home of the kings of Ladakh before the new
capital became established in Leh. The palace sits in a strategic position on
a spur jutting out into the Indus Valley. The main temple contains a large Buddha
statue sculpted by Nepalese craftsmen. It is believed that after its completion
they settled in the area of Chiling and started the now famous metal-working
industry there. In the courtyard there's an impressive gold-topped stupa, best
viewed from above. The top of the palace is reached by some very dilapidated
steps and from here there are wonderful views across to Stok and Spituk, and
also of the hundreds of stupas on the desert to the north-east.
Rizong
The solitary Gelukpa monastery at Rizong lies up a remote side valley to the
north of the main road between Nuda and Saspol. Take any bus from Leh going
to Khalsi or beyond and get off at the turning to the gompa. If coming from
Alchi this is 20 minutes by bus or truck from the Alchi bridge. A taxi from
Leh will cost Rs1138 one way, Rsl330 return. From the turn-off it's a nice 11/2
hour walk to the gompa. Follow the rough motorable track lined with poplar,
willow and apricot trees and after about 50 minutes you'll reach the small Chulichan
nunnery. Continue up the valley for about 40 minutes taking the left fork where
the valley divides and climb up a desolate gorge until you reach the magnificent
monastery which spans the narrow valley.
Salt Valley
The Salt Lake Valley is one of the widest open areas in Rupshu. It can be approached
from Leh across the Tanglang La pass. The valley has a length of about 20 km
and a maximum width of about 7 km. Its average elevation is 5,000 m.
Thuggi is the main settlement of the Salt Lake Valley. There are two lakes in
this valley -- the fresh water Panluk Lake with an area of about 2 square kilometers
and the salt-water Tsokar Lake with an area of about 10 square kilometers. Deposits
of impure salt occurring on the northern shore of the Tsokar Lake are collected
by the Changpas and used as barter to obtain goods from other parts of Ladakh.
Ladakh Places of Interest, About Ladakh
