Finding the roof of the world…

"Look for a brown SUV with Chandigarh license plates..." cried Fida to every taxi driving by, as we rolled down from 18,000 ft to reach Leh, a small city located at a height of 11,000 feet in the north of India. It felt like a car chase at 18,000 feet because a tourist from the "city" had rammed into Fida's old SUV and escaped without an apology or explanation. An SUV is no mean investment in these parts and Fida was no rich travel agent. His smiling face, quick wit and rustic charm were clouded by concern today. His face mirrored the gray of the mountains all around us as he told us about the investments involved and the callousness of the “tourists”. Fida, loosely translated to mean sacrifice and surrender, was our young Muslim driver as we explored the rugged landscapes of Ladakh - the district at whose center lies the city of Leh. The first melting of snow in early June marked time for us as patches of brown grew amidst the white with every passing day. The earth that was stifled under giant mounds of snow during the long and frigid winter was slowly reclaiming its territory. It was the beginning of summer and of life in this part of the world.

That vision of an interconnected community of drivers at 18,000 ft has lingered with me for nearly a year now and is one of the thoughts that makes my memories of one of the driest, highest and coldest places in India feel warm and toasty. In some ways this unfortunate incident encapsulates all that endears this place to me - it talks of the financial constraints that the locals face as they hope and invest in the big tourist bubble. It also embodies my fear for their way of life as the cities grow and cast their shadows on these remote corners of the world.


As the rest of the world marched ahead, Ladakh and its people were frozen in a time capsule of sorts preserving their ancestral way of life. They lived as they had always lived - in mud houses on barren hill slopes, unseen by the untrained eye. Isolated from the rest of the world for most of the year with limited, if any, access to modern amenities like electricity, mobile phones and internet. But then Bollywood happened to Ladakh in 2009! A mainstream movie starring the very popular Bollywood actor Aamir Khan was shot here with the result that the azure blue waters and the barren deserts captured the fascination of the Indian populace. Up until a decade ago, only a few adventurous Indians and foreign backpackers used to visit this corner of the world while today there are thousands of tourists flocking in during the summer months. I was one of them - having managed to fulfill this dream of nearly a decade with my year's savings.

As an Indian woman living in California, visiting Leh as a tourist was an adventure in itself - planning remotely with the 13 hour time difference, the phone calls to travel agents and taxi guides, the accommodation arrangements – it was a very different world from mine. I was going to be without access to a mobile phone or Internet in a remote place with limited facilities! I was nervous, scared and excited despite the reassurances from everyone who had traveled there. But in the end, my fears proved to be completely unfounded and Ladakh holds a special place in my heart, not for the beautiful dream like visions or the diversity of landscapes - but for the warmth of the people. What began as planning a visit to a remote and distant place with strange names became a trip that I will cherish for a lifetime - a place that I long to return to.

It is often said that the harshness of a place tends to rub on the temperaments of its people too – sand-papering them and their characters; but now I know that it is not always true. Certainly not for Ladakh! Despite being surrounded by the tallest of mountains and faced with the driest and harshest of climates, the people of this Buddhist city are warm, colorful and welcoming - almost as a sign of rebellion. Such honesty and friendliness is a rare sight in a developing country like India especially in the throes of a tourist boom.

Nestled in the Himalayan ranges, Leh is the main city in Ladakh - a district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which forms the crown of India. Leh is not idyllic or scenic. It is harsh, barren and cold. Situated in the northern-most state of India – the now infamous Jammu and Kashmir - Ladakh is one of the hotbeds of military presence in the country due to its strategic location. It is flanked by China on one end and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on the other. The presence of military personnel, armed vehicles, numerous checkpoints, the need for special permits and the abundance of olive green uniforms in military garrisons on this otherwise barren terrain never let you forget the looming possibility of a conflict.

Sandwiched between the Himalayas to the south and the Kunlun and Zanskar ranges on the north - Ladakh is one of the highest plateaus in the world. Situated at heights of 10,000 ft and above, the air is thinner and rarer here! The natives however are well adapted to this cold, dry, hypoxic terrain even as outsiders like me struggle to breathe and be active on our first couple of days here.

Spread over an area of around 44,000 Sq Kms, Ladakh is criss-crossed by three major rivers - Indus, Zanskar and Shyok. Leh supports a very small population of natives, most of whom live in the valleys of these rivers. It is sparsely populated (3 persons per sq km) and having pulled out all my woolens for the summer months of Leh - I can understand why! With temperatures dipping to -30 degrees Celsius in the winter months, calling it a difficult terrain would be a massive understatement. Between the folds of the Himalayan ranges, Ladakh is a rain shadow area and the rivers are fed from the melting snow. The monsoon winds find their way here - dry and light - after shedding most of their moisture over the plains of the Indian sub-continent and the Deccan peninsula. The remaining little moisture is then robbed by the towering Himalayas, leaving Ladakh a cold, high altitude desert with wild temperature fluctuations and an extremely low relative humidity of 6-24%. Any little precipitation seen is in the form of snowfall at higher altitudes.


                       


Traveling to Leh is an adventure in itself. Flying in from Delhi might be the easiest option for the passengers but the pilots sure have a tough time navigating through the high mountain ranges. In fact, even in mid air, one barely notices the elevation since the land is always in sight. Travel by road is also an adventure as one drives through narrow, sometimes unpaved roads winding their way through snow covered mountains. The trip into Leh takes one through some of the highest mountain passes in the world - Khardung La at 18350 ft, Tanglang La at 17480 ft Baralacha La at 16050 ft, and Rohtang La at 13000 ft. We decided to fly in and drive out in order to experience the pleasures of both.


Historically, Leh was an important stop-over in the trade routes between India and China when salt, pashmina, cannabis, indigo, silk and brocade were carried on camels and yaks across this inhospitable terrain to eager buyers in China. The ancient inhabitants of this hostile terrain were the Dards, an Indo-Aryan race. Buddhism traveled from central India to Tibet and China via Ladakh and left a strong imprint here. Even today, the influence of Buddhism can be seen in the form of scores of big and small Buddhist monasteries (called Gompas) and hundreds of monks - young and old. Islamic missionaries have also had a strong presence in Ladakh for the past few centuries. More recently, German Moravian missionaries have also made inroads into the populace as seen by the presence of German bakeries in every street. In fact, today one finds a peaceful cohabitation of multiple religious dominions - Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism. Despite its strategic location, Leh is one the few sites of peace in the turbulent state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakhi, the language spoken by the majority of the inhabitants of the district, (except for a minor tribal community of Aryan descent) has Tibetan origins and sounds nothing like what I have heard elsewhere in India.

Today there are more than 70,000 tourists in a town of just over 100,000 natives and tourism is their biggest mainstay. There are many young men and women who are trying to scrounge their sustenance for the rest of the year from the tourist throngs in the summer months. They try and earn a living for the rest of the year so that they can go back home and wait for the snow to melt. I wonder what people do when they have only six months every year – to live and to make a living. It’s no wonder then that things are over-priced and expensive. A whole year's survival is incumbent on the earnings from these few months. One also sees many young nomadic businessmen from Srinagar who would rather be home than here. Srinagar is the capital of Jammu and Kashmir and has borne the brunt of the long military presence in the state. Forced by terrorism and the lack of tourism, they are forced to make a living here and they are not happy about it. They set up shops here in the summer months and go back home during the winter when this bustling city transforms into a walled fortress, severed from the rest of the world.

My ten-day long stay in Ladakh was not long by any standards but I have memories for a life time. Memories of the many bright, ornate Buddhist monasteries and their beautiful, ever-rotating prayer wheels which mark every town. Memories of Buddhist monks in flowing red robes and bright smiles leading a life of quiet introspection and prayer - in a landscape that is otherwise devoid of any color. Barren mountain-scapes that concealed any signs of life for miles on end. Our travels took us to the highest of mountain passes and deserts, to sulfur springs, to the meeting of two rivers and to some of most beautiful lakes in the world. We drove for hundreds of miles each day, met some wonderfully happy people, spoke to school kids and to the monks who taught them. It is amazing to me how despite being a tightly knit community of people living together - they are able to make outsiders like me feel welcome and cared for. We saw some of the oldest paintings of Indo-Himalayan origin and some of the oldest texts of Buddhist origin. Some spectacular busts and figurines of Buddha in their many different forms (or avataras) also found their way into our memories and our photographs. Leh is also one of the few places where the palace of the royalty is an unassuming wooden structure - like the houses of regular townspeople - except for having a place of worship and a bigger living space.

Visting Ladakh is a unique experience. The rugged and every changing geology of this place inspires a sense of isolation and awe, but the charming and friendly people make you feel warm inside. History of a people, a religion and a culture seems to unfold right in front of your eyes. The origins of the Indus, traces of the silk route, a confluence of human ancestry - can all be seen here.

Notwithstanding these many great memories, I still remember Fida’s frantic call for help. In spite of an entire community of drivers looking for that SUV from the city, the driver was not found during our stay. Even as we outsiders were bringing in the money and helping the locals find jobs, some of us were also bringing the madness of the city into this uncorrupted corner of the world. In a place where locks are an oddity and people take time to help absolute strangers - shadows of the city were looming in. Economics, development, globalization were all becoming factors that were tilting the balance. Water was slowly being replaced by Coke. The famous butter tea was being replaced by coffee, one cup at a time. The tiny street-side shops selling thukpa - the soupy Tibetan noodles, will soon be taken over by the travel agencies and cafes. I fear that the delicate fabric of this community will soon be ripped by the sharp edges of consumerism and greed. The mounds of plastic detritus that trail a tourist invasion would choke these open landscapes. At the same time, tourism is critical for the survival of these people. As education and globalization creep in and populations expand, we tourists are the only major source of income here. And yet, we could potentially destroy every thing we love about this place and its people.

I cross my fingers and dream of making a return before the inevitable happens - before cracks appear in the roof of our world.

A photo journal



Our flight to Leh left Delhi while the skies were dark. But the lost hours of sleep were made up by the views of this glorious sunrise.




Nestled in the Himalayas, reaching Leh by air is an adventurous experience because even in mid air, the mighty mountains keep the land always in sight.





Ladakh is a paradise for bikers and doing this entire trip on the bike is something that many bikers dream of. It is bound to be a tough trip but I am sure that the difficulties will be amply rewarded by the closer interaction with the elements.
















The clear blue waters of the Pangong lake are unlike any other in India. The waters are so clear that they change color as the sun completes its journey from one end of horizon to the other. It is a massive expanse of blue (83 miles long) in a barren landscape and is shared between two countries – India and China. Sixty percent of the brackish waters of this lake belong to China while the rest are under Indian jurisdiction with the Line-Of-Control passing in the middle.







        






As one of the last major centers of Buddhist thought, Ladakh has scores of monasteries. This monastery at Alchi is situated by the river and is one of the oldest monasteries in the area dating to the 11th century. These colorful and symbolic prayer parchments line the narrow walkway from the street to the monastery. Although no longer in active use, the monastery at Alchi is maintained by the priests from nearby villages. Its walls are covered with murals and paintings of Indo-Himalayan style dating back nearly a thousand years. The Bodhisattva Manjushri in the yellow color of the Buddha family of Ratnasambhava in one such painting and is badly in need of restoration.










This is the small village of Lamayuru situated on the Leh-Kargil highway. Mud and brick houses like these are typical of the region as they are built into the hill slopes and cannot be discerned from a distance. As the legend goes, an Indian scholar Mahasiddhacarya Naropa (956-1041 CE) allegedly caused the lake that filled the valley to dry up and founded the monastery of Lamayuru.













The monastery in Lamayuru contains these parchments, stowed away in traditional wooden boxes that trace the origins of Buddhism. They are some of the oldest Buddhist texts available.




The monastery at Lamayuru, one of the oldest in the region, now consists of 5 complexes of which this one has a startling display of animation and color.




The monasteries in the region are mostly built on hills and they form the main highlight of the town. The monastery at Lamayuru is situated at an elevation of 11,500 ft and dates back to the 11th century. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the region second to Alchi. Another interesting feature of this area is the “moon land”.







Although, the term “moon land” conjures the image of an extra terrestrial rock, this is very much an earthly formation. According to geologists, this particular part of the landscape is made of sedimentary limestone that dates back to the time when the Paleotethys ocean covered the area, much before the Asian and then South Asian continents collided to give rise to the present Asian continental plate. It is marked by rock formations that are distinctly different and that carry fossil records of the eons gone by.





Sandwiched between the hills lie the tiny villages of Ladakh – small islands of greenery and habitation in an otherwise barren landscape.







The monks have a peaceful and happy countenance despite the rough climes around them. They enjoy meeting people, including tourists and answer our questions – from the inane to the ignorant with good humor and to the best of their knowledge.












The roads to Leh in all directions pass through many treacherous mountain passes where the roads are at the mercy of the elements and need major annual repairs after the long winter. This region has some of highest motorable passes in the world – Khardung La, Fotu La, Chang La etc. Each mountain pass is a treacherous place because a sudden snow-fall could block the road and trap vehicles at high altitudes under inhospitable conditions. While we were forced to wait for a couple of hours on one occasion, luckily for us, the passes were open and accessible on most occasions.





At elevations of 14000 to 18000 feet, one can distinctly sense the difference in the atmospheric pressure and the oxygen content as slight exertions lead to breathlessness and giddiness. The tea-shops selling tea, biscuits and noodles at each of these mountain passes are almost heaven sent in these places. Further, the roads, where they exist are narrow and in many sections unpaved and only one lane wide. Driving through these hair-pin bends is quite a challenge. The drivers however navigate this terrain with seeming effortlessness.












A prayer wheel is a cylindrical "wheel" on a spinde made from metal, wood, stone, leather or coarse cotton. Traditionally, the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" is written in Newari language on the outside of the wheel. According to the 14th Dalai Lama, the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that by following a path, which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, one can transform their impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition spinning such a prayer wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers.




This is the most common sight in many Ladakhi towns where a prayer wheel becomes the nucleus of the town. Passers-by pause here for a while to either just spin the wheel or to catch up with the rest of the town folk. It truly is the heart of the village or the town.














Young kids begin their spiritual education from a tender age and upon reaching adulthood they are sent to Buddhist monasteries all over the country. In the Indian sub-continent, is significant Buddhist presence is now largely limited to Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh (a state to the south of Jammu and Kashmir) but individual monasteries are still being actively maintained across the country. It is quite a sight to see these young cheerful kids play the games of young boys like cricket in their robes.














Large ornate statues and busts of Buddha, such as these, dominate the Ladakhi landscape. They are exquisitely decorated and well maintained and are the only splash of color in this otherwise drab and barren landscape.












Living at the edge of human civilization, the Ladakhi monks demonstrate a stoic but meditative approach to life. They are at the mercy of the elements and they accept it with humility and grace. They enjoy the simple pleasures of life and spend long hours contemplating divinity. Such animated discussions in groups as seen below are a rather rare sight.




Indus and Zanskar are two of the major rivers in the region and they meet to form a single river channel in the region. The confluence is clearly seen by their distinct coloration at the meeting point or “sangam”. Indus remains the vital source of water to large parts of India, china and Pakistan.








This is the Shyok river, second of the three rivers in the Ladakh district. It is a tributary of the Indus and forms the large Nubra valley whose shifting sand dunes separate the Ladakh and karakoram ranges. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft and one can access it through the Khardung La pass (one of the highest motorable roads in the world). The Nubra valley is a cold, arid desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along the riverbeds. The villages are irrigated and fertile, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard and a variety of fruits and nuts, including apples, walnuts, apricots and even a few almond trees. Siachen glacier, a region of strategic military importance lies to the north of the valley and has significant military presence.







The monastery at Thiksey is located at a height of 11,800 feet in the Indus valley. As a 12 storey complex, it is one of the largest monasteries in Ladakh and houses many items of Buddhist art. One of the main points of interest is the statue of Maitreya (future Buddha), a 49 ft tall statue – one of the largest in Laddhakh, which was installed in 1970. The statue was crafted in 4 years by local artisans and is made of Clay, gold paint and copper.









The Hemis monastery is located at around 45 Kms from Leh and is one of the closest monasteries to the city. It is known to have existed before the 11th Century and is one of the oldest monasteries in the region. The monastery has a large courtyard painted with murals of Buddhist and Tibetan origin. It is a very popular monastery and is visited by hordes of toursists every year. This has enabled renovation and restoration of some of the art and statues in the monastery to the glorious days of yore.





Tso Moriri is another fresh water lake located in the region. The clouded skies cast a perfect reflection in its clear waters and one pauses to admire even though the temperatures are chilling to the bone.





When the skies clear up, we can finally see the azure waters glistening under the summer sun.



Tso Kar is a salt water lake in close proximity to Tso Moriri, which is a fresh water lake. It is considered to be a remnant perhaps from the times when this entire area was under the Tethys sea. Although its origins are unclear, it is another of the great lakes in the region and is seen to be fast shrinking.





In between the vast expanses of hilly terrain, there also lie the More Plains – a large expanse (almost 45 kms) of unbelievably flat land at an elevation of 13000 ft and flanked my mountain ranges on both sides.




Lying on the leeward side of the Himalayan range, this entire stretch is a barren, denuded landscape with natural sand and rock formations such as this bridge.





Our journey from Leh was through the snow covered Himalayan peaks where the onset of summer was slowly but steadily reclaiming territory.



Descending from Leh, the flat More plains soon transform into barricades of snow as we have to wind our way up the steep mountain slopes. Tanglang La and Rohtang La are some of the highest mountain passes in the area as we navigate our way to Manali – on the foothills of Himalayas.