About Ladak

For close to 900 years, from the middle of the 10th century, Ladakh was an independent kingdom, its dynasties descending from the kings of old Tibet. Its political fortunes ebbed and flowed over the centuries, and the kingdom, was at its greatest in the early l7th century under the famous king Sengge Namgyal, whose rule extended across Spiti and western Tibet up to the Mayumla beyond the sacred sites of Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. Gradually perhaps partly due to the fact that it was politically stable, in contrast to the lawless tribes further west, Ladakh became recognized as the best trade route between the Punjab and Central Asia. For centuries it was traversed by caravans carrying textiles and spices, raw silk and carpets, dyestuffs and narcotics. Heedless of the land's rugged terrain and apparent remoteness, merchants entrusted their goods to relays of pony transporters who took about two months to carry them from Amritsar to the Central Asian towns of Yarkand and Khotan. On this long route, Leh was the half way house, and developed into a bustling entrepot, its bazaars thronged with merchants from far countries.

The famous pashm (better known as cashmere) also came down from the high-altitude plateau of eastern Ladakh and western Tibet where it was produced, through Leh to Srinagar. The skilled artisans here transformed it from a matted oily mass of goat's underfleece into shawls known the world over for their softness and warmth. Ironically, it was this lucrative trade that finally spelt the doom of the independent kingdom. It attracted the covetous gaze of Gulab Singh, the ruler of Jammu in the early 19th century, and in 1834, he sent his general Zorawar Singh to invade Ladakh. There followed a decade of war and turmoil, which ended with the emergence of the British as the paramount power in north India. Ladakh, together with the neighboring province of Baltistan, was incorporated into the newly created State of Jammu & Kashmir. Just over a century later, this union was disturbed by the partition of India, Baltistan becoming part of Pakistan, while Ladakh remained in India as part of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. The hitherto forbidden motor road from Manali to Leh, the roof of the world, is now open. Traversing across incredible Himalayan terrain, the 485-KM long road goes through mountain passes more than 5,000 meters above sea level to Leh.

THE NEW AREAS OF LEH & LADAK

Certain areas of Ladakh which were formerly closed to foreigners on account of their sensitive strategic position or proximity to internatinoal borders have recently been partially opened.
Movement within them however is limited to a number of specifically designated circuits, and foreign visitors are allowed to go only in groups, accompanied by a recognized/ registered tour operator. The maximum time allowed on any circuit is seven days.
Permits must be taken from the Deputy Commissioner (head of the district administration) in Leh, but citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, SriLanka and Myanmar will be issued permits only with the prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi. Foreign diplomats and members of the United Nations and other international organizations are required to apply for permits tothe Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi.

1) Drok-pa Circuit
2) Nubra Valley Circuit
3) Pangong Lake Circuit
4) Tso-Moriri Lake Circuit