The word Ladakh itself means ‘Land of the Passes’. The Ladakhi culture took shape in the mountains here. The uneven terrain, limited water resources, the aridity of the towering hills in this cold region above the common globe challenge daily existence. Even in this dire situation, the life of Ladakhi people has been enriched with many colors. The valleys here were enriched by the blessings of the rivers. Along with the Indus, the Nubra River flows north of Ladakh. The Shyok River flowing north-west meets its tributary Nubra River. Nubra Valley is situated at this confluence of Shyok and Nubra. The traditional name of Nubra is Dumra. Dumra means the Valley of Flowers. Endless rivers flowing through the mountain slopes, rivers that pour and spread the moisture of love round the clock, small riverside villages and ancient Buddhist monasteries make Nubra Valley a dream city. If you want to understand Ladakh then you have to go to Nubra Valley.
The journey to Nubra Valley started from Leh. The road to Nubra Valley 160 km north of Leh is very good and well maintained. In such a situation, it is a big event for bikers. But we decided to go by bus today. By the way, 99 percent of the tourists who come to Leh go by private car, rental car, tourist company car, private bus or bike. There should be only one percent passengers like us who travel by government buses. The reason is that there is only one bus from Leh to Nubra Valley every morning. We were about 15 to 20 people in that bus. Even there were only eight to ten people who could be called tourists. The bus left for Nubra from Leh at eight in the morning. The entire city of Leh can be seen from the winding bus that reaches the hill. Space houses, wide roads, smooth movement, apple trees swaying in front of the house, pine trees running against the high hills in the riverbank area. Whatever was missed while roaming in the city, was visible from the bus today. A tape record on the bus was playing loud Ladakhi songs. Overall, the journey ahead will definitely be enjoyable.
The first important step on the way from Leh to Nubra is Khardungla Pass. This road near Khardugala village at a distance of about 40 km is the highest motorable road in the world. I was literally traveling through the clouds in a government bus. Now that it is called the highest street in the world, there is glamor for everyone. That is, the world’s highest restaurant, the world’s highest temple, etc. But really we should thank BRO (Border Road Organisation) for making a good road on such a high hill. Often travelers don’t even realize that many people are working hard for the roads we travel on. Like the army in Leh, the BRO is also working hard. On the way from Leh to Pangong, you can see these laborers working in cold and sunlight at many places on the road. Poklen, bulldozers are carried to the top of the mountain and the mountain is carved. The debris is then pulled out. Well, they all do the job of clearing the road again and clearing the stalled vehicles for 15 minutes. Since the same process is repeated at an interval of 15 minutes, the road construction work continues and vehicles do not get stuck.
After coming down from Khardungla Pass, the next leg was cancelled. There is a village named Khalsar at a distance of 120 km from Leh. From here the road splits into two forks. A road leads directly to Panamik via Sumur. Another road turns left towards the Nubra Valley villages of Diskit and Hunder. After turning left, the alchemy of God began to be felt. Village decorated with green carpets. A beautiful view of a yak (yak) grazing on a pasture, a field blooming by the waters of the Shyok river, a leisurely painting by a famous painter as if it were hung on a blue sky. How many times can I describe the river, which are still mountains. I survived as much as I could. As the bus passed through the wide streets, the scene was changing. It was as if nature had placed an album in front of me. Shyok river looked like a jeweler. Big white stones and small colored stones, sapphires were revealing even more beauty on the banks of the river.
Due to the Nubra valley being at an altitude of 10 thousand feet above sea level, some people here also have difficulty in breathing. The camps of Indian soldiers were also seen at various places during this visit. The Nubra Valley is bordered by Pakistan-occupied India in the north and China in the east. Due to the danger of these two troubled nations, the army here is always on alert. Our soldiers stand in the blood soaked cold on the Siachen Glaciers just in front of Panamik. After the Kargil war, the region is relatively peaceful. Now, since the roads are smooth, it did not take much time to cross mountains, valleys and rivers. We reached Diskit in four to five hours.
Diskit is an important village in the Nubra Valley. The population of this village situated on the banks of Shyok river is very less. After getting off the bus we reached the home stay. It was a nice big bungalow on the bank of the river. We reached Nubra Valley but we needed a two wheeler to travel around. The name of the owner of the home stay was Tashi. For about an hour, we inquired about the two-wheeler. “You will not find a two-wheeler anywhere in Diskit,” he said. Now my panchayat is done. But that problem too was solved within a few minutes. The landlord said, “Don’t worry, this is my tax, my friend will take you around.” Once again I felt the sweetness of the people here. After getting ready within an hour, we headed to the Hunder Sand Dunes (the desert of white sand).
Hunder village is known for its two-humped camels. They are called Bactrian camels. These camels are not seen anywhere else in Ladakh except Nubra Valley. Bactrian camels were the most important means of transportation in this high desert of the world. The historic Silk Route, now read only in books and history, passed through this Nubra Valley. These camels were used to transport goods from Central Asian countries including China, Mongolia, Yarkand, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. When there were no roads in Ladakh, it was on the shoulders of Bactrian camels that Ladakh found the way to prosperity. Today these camels stand only as ornaments. The fun of camel safari on the white sands of Hunder is something else.
Yaks are found in Ladakh like Bactrian camels. When there was no means of communication on the rough roads of Ladakh, these yaks carried goods on their backs. The milk of female yak is like nectar for the people here. Yak can live only in cold regions. Therefore yaks are found only in Tibet and Ladakh. It is also known as Chamri or Surgai.
From Hunder we headed back towards Diskit. Apricot, walnut and apple orchards were seen on both sides of the road. Apart from tourists, agriculture is an important source of income in the life of Ladakhi people. Apricot is an important crop here. Agricultural options are also limited in this sandy soil of Ladakh. But apricots have sprinkled sugar in the lives of the farmers here. There is a huge demand for apricots and apples from Ladakh in the Gulf. Many foods like apricot juice, oil, chocolate are available perennially. Heard a lot about Leh Berry and Grapes here. But in this trip we could not see the garden of Leh Berry. On reaching Diskit, the corner saw some women selling fresh apricots and apples. The shape and color of the apple here is also different. After eating wild fruits like apricots and apples, we reached the monastery of Diskit.
This Buddhist monastery of Diskit is the pride of Ladakh. This monastery is said to be of 14th century. In 2010, a statue of Maitreya Buddha, 104 feet high, was installed on the hill here. The statue was unveiled by the Tibetan Guru Dalai Lama himself. This gleaming image of Maitreya Buddha compels tourists from all over the world to come here. The local people here say that this idol has been made to maintain peace in the Nubra area and to protect it from enemies. Maitreya Buddha is also considered the future Buddha. According to Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the people here believe that Maitreya Buddha will be born in the future and spread the message of love to the world again while spreading Buddhism. Whatever it is, the Maitreya Buddha statue is simply a sight to behold. The smiling statue of Buddha lit up in the evening light.
It was dark when we returned to the home stay. Load shedding is widespread in Nubra Valley. There is also a lack of AC or fan in the houses here. As an alternative, solar networks have spread. In the last few years, emphasis has been laid on electrification in many parts of Ladakh. The work of providing electricity from Leh to Kargil has been completed. Some villages in remote valleys like Nubra Valley, Panamik, Siachen are still without electricity. But after Ladakh was declared as a union, it was felt that more emphasis is being laid on roads and electricity in Ladakh. Tashi was our best friend now. He served us hot food in the kitchen of the Ladakhi Sabha.
The next day we were on our way back again. Met from Poland at the bus stop in Diskit from Aga Sarajanska. She was roaming in Leh for the past one month. She will stay here for one more month. After traveling to many countries, he now had a great desire to know India. Leaving her belongings in Leh, she traveled to Nubra Valley for a week carrying a handbag small enough to fit two clothes. He pursued his hobby of photography while learning about Ladakh by taking public transport with very few resources. Lots of chats happened, she knew more about Ladakhi people, food, culture, history than an Indian. Work as a teacher for nine months and then go and travel freely in any country you can for three months. Manoman got jealous of her.
The bus to Leh has arrived. You will not believe, more than half the passengers in that ordinary bus to Leh were foreigners. From twenty five years old to a 75 year old grandfather. Tourists from Europe and Israel are being seen more in Ladakh. When we were passing through Leh on the first day, we saw that there were only young Israelis everywhere. In Israel, all youth between the ages of 18 and 21 are required to perform compulsory military service for three years. After three years when these youths were freed. Then they have both money and time. That’s why a large number of Israeli youth migrate to different countries. There are some people who stay in India for six months and see the whole of India in one breath. That’s why they can’t even buy expensive hotels, rent cars. Travel as cheaply as possible, mingle with locals and enjoy their trips.
The bus left for Leh. Many thoughts were running through my mind when I saw people fighting, friends I met during travel, nature which gave me happiness. In every journey we find something or the other in our hands. This journey has taught me the courage to face the situation I am in. I learned to think how to make life beautiful by considering the happiness in the things that exist. Nature and circumstances are not in the hands of man, he has to adapt to it. After seeing the struggle of the people of Ladakh, the hybrid of our life becomes very normal. Saying Juleh with a sweet smile like his inspired me to live life together. The elixir of positivity is going to become a lifelong seed from this travel churn of Ladakh.
