Ladakh is a land abounding in awesome physical features, set in an enormous and spectacular environment. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Karakoram in the north and the Great Himalaya in the south, it is traversed by two other parallel chains, the Ladakh Range and the Zanskar Range.Ladakh has often changed names, all of which give a good description of the conditions prevailing in the region: Ladwags-land below the mountain passes; Bladwags: land of the lama; Maryul: the red country; Muah Ris bSsor Gsum: land to the west of Tibet. In the West it is sometimes referred to as Moon country and Little Tibet. Rather a long list of names for an area of 59,000 square kilometres having one of the lowest population densities in the world: 2 inhabitants per kilometre, 59,000 square kilometres of rocky desert.
In geological terms, this is a young land, formed a few million years ago. Its basic contours, uplifted by tectonic movements, have been modified over the millennia by the process of erosion due to wind and water, sculpted into the form that we see today.
Today a high-altitude desert, sheltered
from the rain-bearing clouds of the Indian monsoon by the barrier of the Great Himalaya, Ladakh was once covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of which still exist on its south-east plateaux of Rupshu and Chushul, in the drainage basins or lakes of Tso-moriri, Tso-kar and Pangong-tso.But the main source of water is winter snowfall.
For nearly 900 years, from the middle of the 10th century, Ladakh was an independent kingdom, its ruling dynasties descending from the kings of old Tibet.
The kingdom attained its greatest geographical
extent and glory in the early 17th century under the famous king Singge Namgyal, whose domain extended across Spiti and western Tibet right up to the Mayum-la, beyond the sacred sites of Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.
The famous pashmina(better known as cashmere) also came down from the high-altitude plateaux of eastern Ladakh and western Tibet, through Leh, to Srinagar, where skilled artisans transformed it into shawls known the world over for their softness and warmth.The ladakhis, draped in the most beautiful beribboned costumes, danceto the tune of the darnun and the surna (drum and flute). These dancesare seen at every marriage, every anniversary. The movements are slow, simple and they give room for expression of the personality of the dancer, male or female, allowing him to reveal his self assurance, his shyness or his nervousness. Ribbons of silk float before the different viewers, all united in their love of movement. The dances present above all to the public an occasion for meditation.
.Each of the dances is preceded by a homage paid in gestures to the triple jewel (we note here the universal trinity): the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. It is then divided into three parts, the rhythm quickening before the end when the happy Ladakhis break into gentle applause. Ladakh has a rich landscape, peopled with different ethnic groups. The source of the Indus is in Tibet and it enters into Ladakh through Chantang, the region of the Changpah nomads. These are fiercely independent people, proud of their wanderings in the Himalayas. Most of them are Tibetan refugees, living on the raising of yaks, sheep and particularly goats.
The people of Ladakh, by and large, exhibit a natural joie-de-vivre, which is given free rein by the region’s ancient traditions. Socio-religious festivals, including the annual festivals held in the monasteries, provide the excuse for convivial gatherings. Archery is a pastime for all in summer. Among the Buddhists this sport often takes the form of open-air parties accompanied by dance and song. The game of polo is yet nother proud element of the popular culture.
Minus 30'C, minus 40'C are normal temperatures for practically all Ladakhis. The wind blows over the valleys with its crystalline sounds and the men seek a little warmth around their voluminous stoves. Yet another contrast is that summer is short but hot. That is when the Ladakhis set to work ardently in their fields. Then barley, the staple cereal out of which tsampah (flour) is made, vegetables and fruits receive their fullest attention. Knitting, weaving, cabinet-making, painting ... these crafts have an important place in traditional Ladakhi society. In summer, in the shady regions by the Indus and in Nubra, wool is spun and winter blankets are woven.
As soon as wintry weather arrives
, the clicking of needles accompanies the gentle growl of the heating stove. The dress of the men, a long robe of cotton or wool, the goncha, is dark, but those of the women are veritable masterpieces in blue, red and gold. Embroidered dresses and the ceremonial headgear, the perak, cover the resplendent backs with hair covered with turquoise.
Many of the annual festivals of the Gompas take place in winter, which is a relatively idle time for majority of the people. These take the form of dance-dramas in the gompa courtyards. Lamas, attired in colourful robes and wearing masks, perform mimes symbolising various aspects of the religion such as the progress of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good over evil. Local people flock from near and far to these events.
Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture. It is sometimes called "Little Tibet" as it has been strongly influenced by Tibetan culture.
In the past Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes, but since the Chinese authorities closed the borders with Tibet and Central Asia in the 1960s, international trade has dwindled except for tourism. Since 1974 the Indian Government has successfully encouraged tourism in Ladakh although the strong Indian military presence shows
that it still remains a disputed territory, between India and Pakistan and India and China.