The Road Through Kargil

 The Road Through Kargil

 

The road from Leh to Srinagar cuts right through Kargil, the most important site of the 1999 Kargil War, which kicked off when Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri freedom fighters crossed the Line of Control. The clash occurred both in Kargil and along the ridges overlooking this strategically important section of the Leh-Srinagar road. It was the first ground conflict between India and Pakistan since they both developed nuclear weapons and so became the focus of media coverage around the world.

Driving along this section of road was nerve-wracking, mostly due to our over-active imaginations. Bunkers filled with rifle-toting Indian soldiers line the road and the atmosphere is further intensified by the oppressive dryness of the air and land which sucks the moisture from your tongue as you breathe.

  A friendly soldier guarding the Operation Vijay memorial near Drass 

Operation Vijay was a successful Indian attempt to push the infiltrators back across the border during the 1999 Kargil War. This memorial to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the operation has recently been opened to the public. It is near Drass, which also holds the unenviable record of being the second-coldest inhabited place on earth, after Oymyakon, Siberia.

                                                                             Kargil Town

                                                                             Mulbekh

The Indian soldiers guarding the gate were very friendly and happy to have their photo taken. Interestingly, the army and Jammu & Kashmir tourism department are now working to promote the area as an adventure tourism destination with plans for a golf course, pony trekking, mountaineering and high-altitude camping. Nearby Kargil is already popular with domestic tourists who come to pay their respects to those who lost their lives in 1999, see damage done by shells dropped, and visit Tiger Hill, site of the fiercest battles.

                                                                             Drass

Tiger Hill

                                                                           

                                                           Indian Army Chopper            

....................Continued                       

Ladakh-Riding Through The land Of Mountains and Deserts

Land Of Lamas

One word makes every adventurer hold his breath in anticipation...one word makes every naturalist think of the ideal place to be...one word makes every traveler think of an exotic destination...one word makes a pilgrim think of salvation...Himalayas. Yes, the Himalayas with its rugged mountain peaks, evergreen forests, bone chilling regions, ancient temples, makes it an ideal destination for everyone: traveler, pilgrim or hardcore adventurer.


This was a testing time indeed. A stretch of 96 kms to Rumtse via, Tanglang La (17,852 ft asl) with nothing in-between except the rolling mountains.


After Rumtse we moved ahead to reach Leh while visiting the Buddhist Gompas at Hemis, Thikse and Spituk. Hemis Monastery is the oldest in the Ladakh region and is a seat of Buddhist culture and religion. We wondered at the beautiful murals and the enormous statues of Buddha/ Maitreya/ Chamba and Taradevi. Thikse Gonpa is the largest in the region and is built covering a huge hillock. Spituk monastery is situated very near Leh city and dates back to 14th Century AD.

 
Ladakh is a unique region with diverse landscapes: brown sandy deserts and purple, rust cliffs amidst snow clad mountains, where summer is lush green and winter is snow white. And the people are always willing to help travellers, a smile seemingly permanently imprinted on their faces, despite the rigours of their lives.


Our onward journey was to the unexplored regions of Nubra Valley via Khardung La (18380 ft asl) the worlds highest motorable road. The road took us through the most exotic regions where we were beset with surprises throughout our odyssey. The first a stretch was of sand dunes in the middle of snow clad mountains. We had to rub our eyes and pinch ourselves to believe that there exists a desert amidst the snow peaks.