What Should We Know About Ladakh?
If you wish to visit a place which can give you glimpse of nature’s beauty and a thrilling journey, then Ladakh is the best option. This Union Territory, administered by India is a place of great historical importance. Well-known for border disputes, this is a land of peculiar practices and rare fauna. Ladakh is established as a result of the Jammu and Kashmir reorganization act in 2019. Ladakh is bordered by Tibet on the east, Indian Himachal Pradesh on the south, Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan on the west and the Karakoram pass on the north.
- What history has to say for Ladakh?
Between 1380 and 1510BC, a lot of Islamic Sufis served in converting Ladhakis to Islam. Several mosques were built in the region in this period. Even today, a unique group of Noorbakshia Islamists lives only in Ladakh and Baltistan. In the 17th century, Ladakh was invaded by Tibetian Central Government which is known as the Tibet-Ladakh-Mughal war. The king was aided by the Mughal Empire initially but withdrew from war when they were paid by the 5th Dalai Lama. Islam had a setback as Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu invaded Ladakh. He was defeated and Ladakh was then established as a Princely-State under British India. In 1979, the region was divided into Kargil and Leh which has a strong presence of the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetian Border Police. In 1963, a special regiment ‘Ladakh Scouts’ was created in the Indian Army. The regiment consists of soldiers specialized in mountain warfare.
- Astonishing Geography!
The geographical location of the Ladakh, enhance the beauty of it. Most of the tourists are there for ladakh bike trip, and chadar trek, they find this place best Let’s read, what make it best. With a jaw-dropping height of 3000 meters, Ladakh is the highest plateau in India. In history, Ladakh included Baltistan valleys which are now a part of Pakistan administered Kashmir. Also, it includes the upper part of the Indus Valley Civilization. The Ladakhi mountain ranges originated at least forty-five million years ago from foldings of Indian and Eurasian plates. The Indus River is the backbone of the Ladakh region including historical towns Shey, Leh, and Basgo. World’s largest telescope is installed by the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle village, Ladakh. The telescope is erected at a height of 4500 meters from the ground level. One can find the ‘Magnetic Hill’ in Ladakh where gravity fails. The science behind is that the location is a downhill road. The slopes surrounded are carved in such a way that it creates an illusion of an uphill road!Dras and Suru rivers are connected by the Bailey bridge, is the highest bridge in the world. A hydroelectric plant is located on the side.The Siachen Glacier which stretches to 76 km is the longest one in the Karakoram and the second largest in the world.
- Flora and Funa- The Beauty Enhancer
As any other state of India, it has also its own variety, and variation. The natural aura of Ladak holds people in its beauty. Most of ladakh tour package encompasses such places of ladakh in there list to make them know about Ladakh’s integrity. Floral species are reported with a least count of 1200 except in wetlands and streambeds where spotted densely. A rare plant species ‘Ladakiella Klimesii’ was first spotted here and was named after the region. The bharal, Asiatic ibex – a kind of mountain goat, can be found in the western part of Ladakh. Ladakh Urial is another rare species of a mountain goat with over 3000 individuals leftover that can only be seen here. Overall species of animals range only 400. World’s largest wild sheep ‘Tibetian Argali’ 3.5 to 4 feet with a horn size of 900 to 1000mm.
- Administration and Culture:
As per the 2011 Indian census, the population of Ladakh is nearly three hundred thousand. The region is divided into Leh and Kargil districts each administered by an autonomous district council. The councils work with panchayats in making important decisions related to the economy and development. The jurisdiction of Ladakh is based on the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and it has a police force under ‘director-general of police. The region has one Member of Parliament in the Indian Parliament.
About 98% of the population follows Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Islam is the largest practiced religion, with nearly 46 percent of the population following it. People engage in the cultivation of naked barley in areas near Korzok which is located near the Tso-Morori Lake. Besides cultivation few of them are merchants facilitating in textiles, carpets, and narcotics. The area is rich in limestone deposits. A lot of small-scale industries are involved in manufacturing and transporting cheap-cost cement products. The major languages spoken are Bauti, Purkhi, and Hindi. The major language in Leh district is Bauti – a Tibetian language. Purkhi is the predominant language in the Kargil district. People are connected to the rest of the world with English, Hindi, and Urdu. The literacy rate is on the lower side with 62 percent in Leh district and 58 in Kargil.
Ladakh is a land of peculiar practices. Religious songs and music are mostly in Tibetian. A monk calls his colleagues by just blowing a conch and it’s enough to assemble as many as 120 monks. The cuisines are often similar to Tibetian culture consisting of more soup and pasta dishes. They include Skyu and Chutagi made with root vegetables, meat, and leafy vegetables respectively. The famous sport of Ladakh is Ice-Hockey played in ice deposits from December to February. Other famous sports are Archery accompanied with gambling and music, polo and cricket.
