The piece of broken moonland and the land of high passes is the perfect place to feel the real beauty of Gods creation. Ladakh is a region in the Indian state of jammu and kashmir lies between 32 to 36 degree north latitude and 75 to 80 degree east longitude. The total area of 45110sq km makes Ladakh the largest district in India. Ladakh is the highest plateau in the state of Jammu & Kashmir with much of it being over 3,000 m (9,800 ft)It extends from the Himalayan to the Kunlun Ranges and includes the upper Indus River valley.

The mountain ranges in this region were formed over 45 million years by the folding of the Indian plate into the more stationary Eurasian Plate. The drift continues, causing frequent earthquakes in the Himalayan region. The peaks in the Ladakh Range are at a medium altitude close to the Zoji-la (5,000–5,500 m or 16,000–18,050 ft) and increase toward south-east, culminating in the twin summits of Nun-Kun (7000m or 23,000 ft).

 

HISTORY

Ladakh was the connection point between Central Asia and South Asia when the Silk Road was in use. The sixty-day journey on the Ladakh route connecting Amritsar and Yarkand through eleven passes was frequently undertaken by traders till the third quarter of the 19th century. Around the first century, Ladakh was a part of the Kushana Empire. Buddhism came to western Ladakh via Kashmir in the 2nd century and had a major impact on the daily lives of common people, the population. Mir Sayyid Ali was the first one to make Muslim converts in Ladakha and is often describe as the founder of Islam in Ladakh. Several Mosques were built in Ladakh this period, including in Mulbekh, Padum, and Shey, the capital of Ladakh. More than 50% of the population in the region are still Buddhists while the rest are muslims 

 

Food and lifestyle

The people of ladakh  are known for their warm hospitality and kindness. Ladakh serves a variety of Tibetan, Korean, Chinese, and Continental dishes. When it comes to the traditional food of Ladakh, the use of dry fruits (walnuts, almonds and raisins), spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, saffron, etc) and additive spices(asafoetida or Hing, Saunf or aniseed, chillies and dry ginger) are a must to provide a pleasant aroma and flavour to the food.

The most prominent foods being thukpa(noodle soup) and tsampa, known in Ladakhi as ngamphe (roasted barley flour). Edible without cooking, tsampa makes useful trekking food. A dish that is strictly Ladakhi is skyu, a heavy pasta dish with root vegetables.

Butter tea, Milk tea, Green tea etc are also very common. Ladakhi’s are also known for making metal sculptures, knitting, weaving, painting etc. Ladakhi people can be seen busy in the terrace fields of barley, wheat, apples, apricots, and vegetables. They have established and preserved a remarkably rich culture of their own.

Festivals

The festivals of Ladakh are also major tourist attractions. The warmth and love of the Ladakhi’s provide the region with actual beauty. Ladakh celebrates many famous festivals. One of the biggest and most popular is the Hemis festival. It is celebrated in the month of June to commemorate the birth of Guru Padmasambhava. Losar as new year, Harvesting festivals and many more are also hugely celebrated. Traditional music includes the instruments surna and daman (shehnai and drum).

 

 

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