Ladakh

The Ladakh is the largest district of the Indian State of the Jammu-Kashmir, located in its oriental party and of which it occupies more half of the surface. However, it is one of the least populated districts country. Sometimes called the Small Tibet , it is famous for its mountainous landscapes and its culture Bouddhiste Tibetan. Its capital is the town of Leh.

History

Ladakh was formerly a kingdom independent of religion Bouddhiste. At the 17th century, following a rupture of its relations with the Tibet, the fifth Dalaï Lama tries to invade it. The Cashmere assistance then Ladakh in the restoration of its sovereignty, but this help has a price, the conversion of the king ladakhi to the Islam and the construction of a Mosquée in its capital, Leh. The Cashmere will end besides up invading the fine kingdom putting at its independence and involving, in the long term, its integration in the British India.

The original territory of the kingdom is now divided between India, the Pakistan and the Aksai Chin, a district conquered by the China following the conflict sino-Indian of 1962.

Geography

Ladakh is the district of India to the highest altitude, most of its territory exceeding the 3000 Mr. It includes/understands part of the Karakoram and the Himalayas as well as the higher valley of the Indus.

Historical Ladakh was composed of several distinct areas, the majority today under Indian administration:

the higher valley of Indus, a rather populated area,
valleys far away from the Zanskar, with the south, and Nubra, with the north which one reaches by one of the motor-roads highest of the world (collar of Kardung, 5359m)
Aksai Chin, under Chinese administration, almost deserted,
the valley of Kargil and Suru in the west, with population mainly Chiite, where Kargil is, the second most populated city of Ladakh

The area of Skardu, under Pakistani administration and of entirely Moslem population, is sometimes attached to the geography ladakhie.

Population

With the difference of the remainder of Jammu-Kashmir which is mainly Moslem, Ladakh is an area mainly Buddhist, the majority of Ladakhis following the tantric form of Buddhism, the Vajrayāna. One finds there, indeed, a high number of Buddhist monasteries like Shey gompa, Tikse gompa, Hemis gompa, Alchi gompa, Stongdey gompa and Lamayuru gompa, gompa having the significance of monastery.

The majority of the inhabitants of the area speak the Ladakhi, a dialect close to the Tibetan. One however notes clear differences concerning grammar and the pronunciation (from this point of view, the ladakhi is sometimes regarded as an antiquated dialect Tibetan). (It is rather easy, for a person speaking Tibetan, to learn the ladakhi. The reverse is less obvious.)

Economy

The crisis of the Cashmere having returned the area, formerly very appraisal by the tourists, extremely not very sure, except the town of Srinagar, the Indian government supports a transfer of activities towards Ladakh, Eastern Buddhist, and its possibilities of trekking, the area almost not being affected by the events of the Western part of the State. Tourism is thus becoming the first source of revenue of this area whose economy was, formerly, primarily based on an agriculture of subsistence.

Transport

The principal corridor for the exchanges and the trade of the sector was moved route passes from Zoji-La - Kargil towards Srinagar for that of the road of high-altitude Manali - Leh since the Himachal Pradesh. Leh comprises an airport from which leave the daily flights for Delhi and weekly magazines for Srinagar.

External bonds

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/olivier.delcourt/Zanskar2004
Pictures, Ladakh bike-turn
Photographs of Ladakh (2006)
Juley, Children of Ladakh, Humanitarian association for the schooling of the children of the valley of Nubra

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