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| '''Ladakh''', sometimes known as "'''Little Tibet'''," is by far the largest district of the state of ], comprising more than half its area. It is divided between ], ], and the ]. The capital is ]. | '''Ladakh''', sometimes known as "'''Little Tibet'''," is by far the largest district of the state of ] (of which it comprises the eastern part), comprising more than half its area. It is divided between ], ], and the ] (Askai Chin). The capital is ], which is dominated by Leh Palace, the now derelict home of the former Ladakhi royal family. | ||
| Ladakh is situated at high altitude (much of it over 3,000 m) straddling the Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges and the uppen Indus river valley. Unlike the rest of predominantly Islamic Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh is a predominantly Buddhist area, with most Ladakhis following the tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism of the Dalai Lama (hence the nickname 'Little Tibet') - this is evidenced by the high number of Buddhist monasteries, including Shey, Tikse, Hemis, Alchi, Stongdey and Lamayuru (each called locally a 'gompa' meaning 'monastery'). | |||
| Ladakh consists of a number of distinct areas (mainly under Indian rule), including the fairly populus main Indus valley, the more remote Zanskar (in the south) and Nubra valleys (to the north over Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range, the highest motorable pass in the world at 5,602 m or 18,380 ft), the almost deserted Askai Chin (under Chinese rule) and the predominantly Shi'ite moslem Kargil and Suru Valley areas in the west. The Skardu area, under Pakistani rule and entirely Moslem, is sometimes loosely included in what is geographically referred to as Ladakh. | |||
| With the Jammu and Kashmir crisis making the Kashmir valley a no-go area for tourists, the Indian Government encouraged a shift in trekking and other tourist activities to the reltively unaffected areas of Buddhist eastern Ladakh. Tourism thus became a major source of income for what previously was a subsistence, agricultural economy. | |||
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Revision as of 11:42, 5 February 2004
Ladakh, sometimes known as "Little Tibet," is by far the largest district of the state of Jammu and Kashmir (of which it comprises the eastern part), comprising more than half its area. It is divided between India, Pakistan, and the People's Republic of China (Askai Chin). The capital is Leh, which is dominated by Leh Palace, the now derelict home of the former Ladakhi royal family.
Ladakh is situated at high altitude (much of it over 3,000 m) straddling the Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges and the uppen Indus river valley. Unlike the rest of predominantly Islamic Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh is a predominantly Buddhist area, with most Ladakhis following the tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism of the Dalai Lama (hence the nickname 'Little Tibet') - this is evidenced by the high number of Buddhist monasteries, including Shey, Tikse, Hemis, Alchi, Stongdey and Lamayuru (each called locally a 'gompa' meaning 'monastery').
Ladakh consists of a number of distinct areas (mainly under Indian rule), including the fairly populus main Indus valley, the more remote Zanskar (in the south) and Nubra valleys (to the north over Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range, the highest motorable pass in the world at 5,602 m or 18,380 ft), the almost deserted Askai Chin (under Chinese rule) and the predominantly Shi'ite moslem Kargil and Suru Valley areas in the west. The Skardu area, under Pakistani rule and entirely Moslem, is sometimes loosely included in what is geographically referred to as Ladakh.
With the Jammu and Kashmir crisis making the Kashmir valley a no-go area for tourists, the Indian Government encouraged a shift in trekking and other tourist activities to the reltively unaffected areas of Buddhist eastern Ladakh. Tourism thus became a major source of income for what previously was a subsistence, agricultural economy.