Ladakh is also fondly known as the ‘Land of High Passes’ by the Indo-Aryan people who reside in the area. It is located in the Jammu and Kashmir State of India between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south. It is a beautiful place to spend a vacation as shown by the following facts about the region.
1. Ladakh is a region of festivals, mostly due to being home to two of world major religions – Hindu and Buddhism. Among the most popular festivals include; Hemis Festival, Dosmoche Festival, Losar Festival, Sindhu Darshan Festival, Ladakh Festival, and Tak-Tok Festival.
2. Ladakh is a high altitude region ranging from 9000 feet (2,750 m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672 m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram.
3. It is the highest settlement in India and is served by River Indus.
4. Due to its high altitude, it is one of the last places in India that retains its natural beauty. It is sparsely populated unlike most of India.
5. It is home to Tsomoriri Lake which measures 28 km long with 7 – 8 km at the widest points. It is a paradise for wild animals and here you can spot cranes, wild ducks, and some other small birds and marmots.
6. The area is dotted with monasteries and Pagodas and tourist can commune with the monks in such monasteries as Hemis Gompa, Thiksey Gompa and Shey Palace.
7. Ladakh is the highest plateau of the Kashmir Valley, with much of it being more than 3,000 meters above the sea level.
8. Ladakh is arid but home to 225 species of birds such as finches, robins, redstarts and Hoopoe. It never ceases to amaze the tourists who venture this far up that the region could retain so much of its natural beauty.
9. The unimaginable happens in Ladakh…imagine how surprised you will be to see a lake at 4350 meters above the sea level. Well, Pangong Lake is the highest salt lake and it is situated high up in the Ladakh Mountains.
10. Due to its high altitude and clear skies, the region has emerged as an important astronomy center. The Udaipur Solar Observatory and 2-Meter Himalayan Chandra Optical and Infrared Telescope are some of the Indian Astronomy studying facilities that are situated in Ladakh.
If you visit the Kashmir Valley, make sure you complete your trip by venturing into the Ladakh hills and mountains for a day or two. You will find that high altitude is not as bad as some people will make you believe.