Ladakh Lore

Ladakh Lore

I had never believed it when people claimed Ladakh to be one of the most spell bounding places in the world. Surely they were exaggerating, like anybody who has had a great vacation with some great company. But I was proven wrong. This “Sacred Roof of the World” is truly deserving of all the appreciation that has been bestowed upon it, and perhaps some more.

This unforgiving terrain, wonderfully maintained by the Border Road Organization, mesmerizes each one of its visitor in its magical beauty. With almost all of the world’s beauties in one single place – a desert and a lake, rivers and plains and mountains, snow and sunshine – one does not know what to make of this place. What is it really? It’s a funny place if you ask me! Why do I say so? Take a look at the below 2 images yourself, and I can bet you will not believe that these are from the same river at different times of the year.

       

 
But then, that’s how Ladakh is. It is everything at one time, at one place.

We had been warned of the rugged roads that connect the vivid zones of Ladakh. But only once we took up the travel through them that I realized that all of its ruggedness – the roadless roads, the pine shaped rock formations, the arid mountains and the sandy dunes – were infact a part of what made Ladakh so captivating in the first place. You can’t help but wonder how, a place abandoned by rain and left so arid; contain so much beauty within itself. And then when you happen to spot of lush greenery in the middle of a desert, you start believing in the magic of Mother Nature.               

               

And just when you think you have seen enough of the ruggedness, you reach Nubra, where the double hump camels await you to take you on a journey through the sand dunes of one of the highest deserts in the world…

And that is not the end of the story. The icing on the cake is when you reach the next destination. After a 5 hour long drive from Leh, when you reach this signboard, be prepared to lose your breath:

Yes, it is THE PANGONG! Now, you may have seen Pangong a million times in movies – the most famous one being the last scene of “3 Idiots”. I am also sure you would have found it a lovely view when you watched it big screen. But believe me when I say that that was nothing compared to how you feel when you see it in real. The Pangong Tso is the largest lake at such an altitude ranges more 134 km and only about one third of it is in India. I am left speechless when I begin to describe this wonder. Its beauty is beyond charming; its clarity and vivid shades will leave you wanting for more. But if you were to ask me to define Pangong, I would say it is something that redefines “Blue”.

                            

I would love to go on and on about Pangong Tso, but I know that no matter what I say or how I say it, I will never be able to do full justice to its enticing beauty. So I will leave it for you to feel it yourself.

As for my final takeaway from Ladakh, I would like to complete the story with the people that make the place what it is. Every person you meet here will be wearing a smile on their face. Every person welcomes you into their haven with such warmth, that you would instantly feel at home. The spirituality that lingers in this place (brought in by the numerous monasteries, stupas and Buddha sculptures sprinkled across the region) is clearly reflected in the eyes of its residents, who seem so happy in this small little world of their own.

   

Ladakh is not just a place. It is a feeling, a collection of emotions, a form of art, which its connoisseurs would take back with them to treasure for a lifetime.

JULEY!