Boon's Ladakh, Dharamsala, Amritsar Trip (Aug 2012): Day 7

Stunning morning view of Leh

Beautiful!

Road to Nubra Valley

Hanging the white scarf (Khata) to bless all the people passing by this Khardung Pass at 5603m.

My highest point in life (Literally).

Khardung Pass

"Khardung La (Khardung Pass, la means pass in Tibetan) at 5,359 m (17,582 ft) elevation is a high mountain pass located in Ladakhregion of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The local pronunciation is "Khardong La" or "Khardzong La," but, as with most names in Ladakh, the romanised spelling varies.

The pass on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies partway up the latter valley. Built in 1976, it was opened to motor vehicles in 1988 and has since seen many automobile, motorbike and mountain biking expeditions. Maintained by the Border Roads Organisation, the pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry supplies to the Siachen Glacier.

Khardong La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Chinese Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hundar, in the area north of the pass. During World War II there was an attempt to transfer war material to China through this route.

The 5,359 m (17,582 ft) elevation measure was taken from a modern GPS survey by a team of researchers. It accurately matches SRTMdata and Russian topographic mapping, and it is broadly consistent with several other independent travellers' GPS reports and an article by Bonington.

Several of these sources contain assertions by local people who claim that the 5,602 m (18,380 feet) height claimed by the summit signs has been inflated for the purpose of record breaking. The even higher elevation of 5,682 m (18,640 feet) that has been claimed byGuinness World Records and the National Geographic Society is not supported by any evidence and may be rooted in a copying error from 5,602 m."

View from the pass

Glacier and snow

(It is summer time! The road is closed during winter)

Happy!

Our driver said that this road is very dangerous, because of the possibility of avalanche even during summer. There were wreckage of vehicles fallen from the top.

Photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the top of truck.

His Holiness is highly revered in this region of India.

Our driver was a 29 years old Tibetan born in Leh. He got married 6 years ago and has a 9 mths old daughter, and he knew his wife since the age of 8 years old when they were schooling together. Even though he was born in Leh and lived all his life in India, he had a strong yearning to go back to Tibet. His face was elated when he was sharing his visit to the border town near Tibet. He said he could see Tibet and everything in the town was written in Tibetan. His dream is to visit Tibet.

When we told him that we had been to Tibet before and shared with him the things we saw in Tibet (ie. Potala Palace, Faithful Pilgrims etc..), he said in an envious way that we are very fortunate. Indeed, we are very fortunate. I also asked him about his thoughts on Tibetan issues, like self-immolations in Tibet, Dalai Lama etc...

He played a rap song in Tibetan & English that almost brought tears to my eyes. The rapper was asking about where is the justice and why the UN is ignoring their plight and sufferings.The children were singing when could they return to their motherland (Tibet).

50 years after Chinese invasion of Tibet, there is still a strong longing by the Tibetan diaspora to return back to Tibet. It is a simple wish, yet it seems so impossible. It is a basic need to return back to home.

On the way to Nubra Valley.

"Nubra Valley (Urdu:وادئ نبرا) is about 150 km north of Leh, the capital town of Ladakh, India. Local scholars say that its original name was Ldumra (the valley of flowers). The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and the Karakoram Ranges. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. above the sea level. The common way to access this valley is to travel over the Khardung La from Leh. Non-locals require an Inner Line Permit (obtainable in Leh town) to enter Nubra.

Like the rest of Ladakh, Nubra is a high altitude desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along river beds, where irrigated, and on high slopes. The villages are irrigated and fertile, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard for oil, and a variety of fruits and nuts, including apple, walnut, apricot and even a few almond trees. Most of the Nubra Valley is inhabited by Ladakhis who speak Ladakhi; the majority of them are Buddhist, with a minority of Shia and Sunni Muslims. In the western or lowest altitude end of Nubra Valley, along the Shyok River, the inhabitants are Balti, speak Balti, and are Shia and Sufia Nurbakhshia Muslims.

Siachen Glacier lies to the north of the valley. The Sasser Pass and the famous Karakoram Pass lie to the northwest of the valley and connect Nubra with Xinjiang. Previously there was much trade passing through the area with East Turkestan and Central Asia."

Sand dunes in the middle of no way.

(Hunder)

Could this be one of the highest Sand dunes in the world?

Peaceful stream...

Bactrian Camel ("Double-Hump" Camel).

Apparently, these camel was originally from Mongolia and it was the off-springs of the camels that transported goods in the ancient trade route from Mongolia to the Middle-east.

My first double-hump camel ride.

Diskit Monastery

"Diskit Monastery also known as Deskit Gompa or Diskit Gompa is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery (gompa) in theNubra Valley of Ladakh, northern India.^[1]^[2]

It belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelugpa, in the 14th century.^[3]^[4] It is a sub-gompa of the Thikse gompa.

Lachung Temple and Hundur Monastery are also located nearby, the latter is below the main road near a bridge.^[3]^[4]

The monastery has statue of Maitreya Buddha in the prayer hall, a huge drum and several images of fierce guardian deities. An elevated cupola of the moanstery depicts a fresco of the Tashilhunpo Monastery of Tibet."

Huge Maitreya Buddha Statue

"This impressive 32 metre (106 foot) statue on top of a hill below the monastery, faces down the Shyok River towards Pakistan and, according to Mr. Tsering Nophel, chairman of the committee which organised it, most of the money came from local donations. The Head of the Gelugpa, Ganden Thipa (the reincarnation of Tsongkhapa), and Abbott of Rizu Monastery, gave 8 kg of gold for its decoration. It is the first time a Ladakhi monk has been the head of the Gelugpa sect.

The statue's construction was started in April 2006 and it was consecrated by H.H. the Dalai Lama on 25 July 2010. Mr. Nophel says the statue was built with three main functions in mind - protection of Diskit Village, prevention of further war with Pakistan, and to promote world peace."

Back of the Statue

I saw this Maitreya Buddha on the FB before. And I told myself that I want to see it with my own eyes. Finally, I saw it. I guess I am lucky person. =)