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The fingerprints of nature

Bare peaks flirt with the clean blue horizon at Ladakh

PHOTO: HEMANT KATARIA

OUT OF THE WORLD ... and right out into a picture postcard. Ladakh offers varied landscapes that overwhelm the traveller

Ladakh is the land of huge and colourful gompas set atop hillocks, series of white chortens breaking the monotony of barren landscape, wrinkled faces of self-effacing people and small green patches of cultivation set amidst the harsh terrain of the great Himalayas. We were a motley group of 20 people from diverse backgrounds and professions, assembled together to undertake an exploratory sojourn through Lahaul to Ladakh, with 11 SLR cameras, four tripods and plethora of lenses with us.

Surrounded by passes and enduring nature's fury, away from the so called `civilised' world, homes of these cheerful people were brimming with heritage and culture while embracing a thread of "Om Mani Padme Hum" in every aspect of their lives. It translates as "O you lotus in the jewel" and chanting this phrase is considered to be the panacea for all problems. Their songs are soft and they dance on any pretext in their slow but rhythmic footsteps with masked faces and exquisite dresses.

Big surprise

The mustard fields at village Rumse, the first village 225 km from Manali, were a surprise and a sight for sore eyes. Climbing for a snapshot for a captivating view of the first ever vividly colourful fields set in the contrasting backdrop of bare mountains was irresistible. Soon after the village, we saw a series of white chortens, built in memory of the deceased.

Ladakhi people are lively and "Juley!" is their spontaneous native greeting. They enjoy dancing, archery, polo and their strong barley beer, known as chang. These hardworking people, especially those in living in remote villages subsist on a simple staple diet of roasted barley or buckwheat flour, and green salt tea mixed with butter. A strong and vibrant culture survives in the harsh and imposing landscape of Ladakh, and unusual desert flowers bloom amongst barren rock.

At Diskit, there was a sea of puckered yet cute faces, as if time had etched its fingerprints on their visages. A proud grandpa with a child on his back, wearing a toothless smile, his watery eyes sporting a broken pair of glasses, was of course a photo op. Everyone was assembled at a crossing, old men well dressed in a long woollen gown with a silk robe around the waist and women sporting an exclusive turquoise-encrusted headgear with curled sides and beaded jewellery on the back tucked on head. A non-stop prayer wheel in the hands of an elderly woman conveyed the richness of their tradition and Buddhist culture.

It was an unbelievable experience to find sand dunes situated at such a height amidst snowy mountains, at Hunder in Nubra Valley. All the elements of nature's beauty that one can imagine were present at the same time. White sanddunes, the sun occasionally peeping through dark grey clouds drizzling over a thirsty valley, meandering river stream passing by the dunes ringed by bare mountains, and snowy peaks. Only the rainbow was missing. The surroundings were a feast for the eyes, what with a double humped camel grazing nearby against the backdrop of mighty peaks.

Pangong in Ladakhi means hollow and tso is the word for lake. Visiting Pangong Tso was one of the highlights of our visit to Ladakh. We set off from Leh at 4 a.m. to cover the 175 km to this beautiful lake. Admiring a landscape of this sort, centuries ago, Claude Monet had remarked: "For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life — the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere, which gives subjects their true value." There is an intense desire to visit Ladakh again — to visit the "roof of the world" where the earth meets the sky, with its vast sandy desert full of gold silica dust, barren lofty mountains, and where the bare peaks flirt with the clear blue horizon, the arid bewitched, sun-beaten and wind swept land with its lonely peaks and multi-hued mountains.

Fact File

The season to visit Ladakh is between June and September.

After reaching Leh, it is advisable to take rest for two days and get acclimatised to the heights and to avoid acute mountain sickness for which no medical aid is available.

From Leh, one needs to obtain permits for visiting Pangong Tso Lake and Nubra Valley from the Magistrate's Office. Essentially carry proof of identification for seeking permits.

Pangong Lake and Nubra valley are approximately 175 km from Leh in different directions with no accommodation to stay overnight at Pangong.

Don't forget to take woollens, sunscreen, torch and medicines.

SONITA KATARIA

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