By Ashvini Ranjan[Continued from yesterday]
Thiksey village and Diskit Monastery
Friends are surprised that we stayed in a tent at the Chamba Camp in Thiksey village. Surprisingly, it had all the comforts of a hotel room but in an open field. It was a unique experience. Our tent faced the Diskit Monastery on the hill at a distance. The lamps that are lit at night in the monastery with the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains makes it an incredible sight. The camp which consists of thirteen tents is managed professionally by a private company.
Apart from being the largest monastery of Central Ladakh, the monastery is also famous for its 49 ft tall statue of Maitreya Buddha in the lotus position, covering two floors of the monastery. It offers excellent views of the Indus Valley and nearby monasteries. The sunrise from the monastery is supposed to be stunning. But the effort to rise early to catch a glimpse of the ‘Bright Star’ was in vain as the skies were overcast and raining. Come rain or come shine, to the monks who live there, it is just another day dedicated to the service of Lord Buddha.
Besides the sand dunes and scenic landscapes, Nubra Valley is also famous for the unique double-humped camels called the Bactrian camels. Only other place this rare animal is found is in the Gobi desert in China and in Mongolia.
Sonam Wangchuk
Those who have seen the movie Three Idiots will recall the character of Phunsukh Wangdu, the genius inventor with exceptional talents which the hero portrays. Surprisingly, it is not a fictional character. This person exists in real life under the name of Sonam Wangchuk. In fact he is believed to be the inspiration behind making of the movie and lives in Ladakh. He is a qualified engineer, inventor and an educationist. He is the founding-director of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh. He has more than four hundred patents, most of which is related to solving the everyday challenges of local people. According to Namgyal, Sonam Wangchuk is an adviser to the Governments of Bhutan and Nepal.
Turtuk village and Chewang Rinchen
Turtuk is a quaint village inhabited by approximately 1,200 people almost entirely belonging to the Muslim community. It is one of the northernmost villages of India, close to the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Turtuk is situated on the banks of the Shyok River. During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, this area was the site of the Battle of Turtuk in which India regained control of this territory for the second time. The first being in 1948. In both the wars, Chewang Rinchen played heroic roles and both the times he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the second highest military award of the country.
The first time was in 1948 when Rinchen joined the Indian Army. He was 17 years old and studying in the 9th standard. After a week’s training, he led 328 men with only 28 rifles and succeeded in pushing back the aggressors. His extraordinary bravery and cunning he displayed was exemplary and kept the enemy at bay for weeks. Years later, Mohammad Yusuf Ahidi, Commander of the Pakistani raiders, noted in his book Baltistan Par Ek Nazar: “If Chewang Rinchen had not foiled these attacks, we would have been masters of Ladakh.” He won acclaim even from the enemy. The people of Turtuk were under the rule of both Pakistan and India at different times. When India reclaimed the territory during the 1971 war, the entire population rejoiced as they found India to be more fair and humane to its people. The Indian tricolour that flutters at the Turtuk village represents both pride and gratitude of its people to India.
Bidding adieu to Ladakh and to Namgyal
“Lots more stories and plenty more places to see in Ladakh sir. Do come back,” said our guide Namgyal, as we shook hands to go our ways at the Rimpochee Airport at Leh, the capital of Ladakh.
This post was published on October 16, 2022 7:17 pm