#changthang

Dah –Hanu Village | The Last Aryans’ Village | Leh & Ladakh

Dah- Hanu Village Amongst the small towns of the Leh Drogpa ethnic minority, known for their friendliness, are the charming hamlet of Dha (or Dah). In Leh and the regions of Kargil, the Dard Aryans inhabit the villages of Dha, Hanu, Beema, Darchik and Garkone.  The villages are together called the Aryan valley. The inhabitants of this area have outstanding features, social life, ethnic culture…

COBALT, JADE AND GOLD

Photographer: Sankar Sridhar

Changthang, an uninhabited high altitude cold desert at an average altitude of 5000 metres in India, is considered among the remotest regions on earth. It's winters have rarely been documented. This is a study of its oases and thermal vents in harshest time of the season, when -30 Celsius is considered a good day.

“Ladakhis have learnt that ostensibly favourable announcements can be deceptive and there have already been pushbacks.”  Siddiq Wahid* THE August 26 tweet by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, announcing five new districts in Ladakh, had all the panache of grand declarations. It was a bolt from New Delhi’s muddy blue sky. A surprise – cryptic, populist and authoritative – it lacked other details…

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

In a post on ‘X’, Shah said in pursuit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to build a developed and prosperous Ladakh, the Union Home Ministry has decided to create the five new districts.

“The new districts, namely Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang, will take the benefits meant for the people to their doorsteps by bolstering governance in every nook and cranny,” he said.

Ladakh was made a UT after the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two UTs on August 5, 2019. The other UT is Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the creation of five new districts in Ladakh as a step towards better governance and prosperity. Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang will now receive more focused attention, bringing services and opportunities even closer to people, he said, congratulating them.

Kashang La (17,842 feet) – Jammu and Kashmir

Kaksang La, at 5438 metres above sea level, is located in Ladakh’s Changthang area. It is the only road in India that may be driven on by a car. Because it does not allow access to significant tourist sites in the vicinity, Kaksang La is not as well-known as other mountain passes. It is one of the country’s highest roadways. Set high in the country’s north, close to the Line of Actual Control…