When you are in a war or a potentially conflict zone, your best friend had better be God. That is why one sees a lot of temples at such places where you can die or lose limbs even if no bullets are being fired. Natural or accidental mishaps can strike anyone.
The faith in the shrine of OP Baba is almost fanatical for soldiers posted at the base camp at the Siachen Glacier. Built near the snout of the glacier in 1996, elaborate ceremonies are performed as soon as a soldier finishes his posting of 90 days on the glacier, something allotted by rotation. Living under sub-zero conditions on a mass of ice can be fatal or cause loss of limbs or eye-sight or even sanity amongst the most hardy. Even when all precautions are taken and right training imparted. Coming back from the glacier intact is a cause for celebration.
Who is OP Baba? According to the legend mentioned at the shrine: [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Ladakh,
OP Baba,
Siachen
The snout of the Siachen Glacier
It may seem unfair to have a war zone like the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh. Both Pakistan and India spend hundreds of millions dollars every year and lose any number of lives facing off for what may seem like an inconsequential mass of ice. But then who said conflicts are about fairness and being reasonable?
When a place is as well known as Siachen, especially for reasons of war, you approach it with mixed expectations. How does a zone always in a state of battle preparedness look like? What is the body language and state of mind of soldiers in these situations? What do they make of civilians out on a ‘picnic,’ even if they are guests of a senior colleague?
Under normal circumstances, one is not allowed within about fifty kilometers of this area unless you have Army clearance. The region had seen little or no exchange of fire over the past couple of years – I may not have been able to make a visit had it been otherwise. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Army,
Bofors,
india,
Ladakh,
Nubra,
pakistan,
Siachen
It is not very often that one gets an opportunity to meet someone of the stature of His Holiness, the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the 800 year old Drukpa lineage. I did for an exclusive one-on-one chat on the eve of his pad yatra from Manali to Leh starting on May 23, 2009. Click here to know more about it.
The Drukpa Lineage follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition in philosophy, i.e. the philosophy of “getting enlightened for the benefit of others” and the methods are based on the Tantrayana teachings passed down from the great Indian saint Naropa, who was born in 1016 in a West Bengal royal family. The Drukpa Lineage is one of the main Buddhist schools throughout the Himalayas including Bhutan, Tibet, China, Nepal and India, with four to five million students. The most revered monastery in Ladakh, the Hemis Monastery, comes under the Drukpa school. Click here to read more about the lineage. Continue to read the interview
Tagged as:
Gyalwang Drukpa,
hemis,
Ladakh,
Mahayana Buddhism
Who would have thought you can go shopping at 18,380 feet? Apparently you can – at the souvenir shop located at the Khardungla Pass in Ladakh run by the Indian Army. And what it claims is the highest souvenir shop in the world.
What can you buy here? Merchandise with branding of the pass. There were ceramic pen stands going for Rs. 60 each, a set of six coffee mugs for Rs. 180 and decorative plates for Rs. 140 and Rs. 190 in two sizes. There were T-shirts too but I could not check the price. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Khardungla,
Ladakh,
Leh,
Nubra,
Souvenir Shop
A structure to mark the achievement of building the road across Khardungla and to remember those who lost their lives in doing so
Building of the road across the Khardungla Pass in Ladakh at 18,380 feet in 1972-73 was no mean feat. Nothing is easy in the harsh conditions and terrain of such altitudes. How did the Indian Army come good in this challenge? [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Khardungla,
Ladakh,
Leh,
Nubra
It is not very often that one gets to drive on a road at an altitude of 18,380 feet. That is where Khardungla Pass, meaning the ‘Pass of Lower Castle,’ is located on the way from Leh to the Nubra Valley in Ladakh. It is the highest motorable road in the world as signs put up by the Border Roads Organization proudly proclaim.
The Marsimikla Pass, at 18632 feet, in eastern Ladakh has missed out on the top honours as it allows for only some kinds of four wheeled vehicles across it.
The Khardungla has quite a bit of history behind it according to documents available with the Indian Army. This is what I got to read up: [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Karakoram,
Khardungla Pass,
Ladakh,
Leh,
Nubra,
Silk Route
Can your car get a life of its own due to some unknown natural phenomena? It seems to be the case at the Magnetic Hill located 30 kilometers outside Leh on the way to Alchi and Kargil.
A sign at this spot invites you to stop your car over a white square marked on the road, switch it off and leave it in neutral. Follow the instructions and your car actually starts moving on its own at speeds of 10-20 km per hour. Ok, so this was downhill and it was just following the rules of gravity. Turn your car in the opposite direction and repeat the steps. It will start moving uphill. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Ladakh,
Leh,
Magnetic Hill
Is it Shoja or Sojha? Both spellings are used but let us use Sojha as marked on a milestone. Let the Government have the final word.
Like the Banjara property at Sangla, I have visited their property in Sojha twice: August 2007 and recently in May 2009. The main difference between then and now: the apple trees in the gardens were blooming with the red colour of the fruit waiting to be harvested, so was a bed a sunflowers each the size of a big man’s palm. Go back in August and you will see the apples, but they might not grow the sunflowers again.
Want to read my piece on Sojha? Click here.
This is how my experience was when I stayed on the two occasions: [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Banjkara Camps,
Himachal Pradesh,
kullu,
Shoja,
Sojha
I stayed at Banjara Camps’ Sangla property two years ago and visited the same recently. Did anything change during this period? Yes, they have come up with their 12 room Retreat which is not tented accommodation but a built up structure. There was a flash flood that took away some of the land – including the original bonfire area – as the Baspa river changed course. You can see signs of trees being swept away on some of the slopes in the valley as the tributaries of the Baspa also decided to take a different path than normal. These minor changes apart, the Sangla Valley remains as beautiful as ever and the Banjara Camp the ideal place to enjoy it.
Rajesh Ojha and Captain Ajay Sud, the folks behind Banjara, created a new category of accommodation in the country when they set up the Sangla property in 1994. It is comfortable yet gives a feel of the rough, is luxurious without your needing to sell your car to stay here. And located far from the madding crowd where few would know exist – and want to go to once they hear of it.
This is how my experience was when I stayed there in June 2007 and then again in May 2009: [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
banjara camps,
Himachal Pradesh,
Hotel,
Review,
Sangla
Are you headed to Ladakh this summer? And have about ten days with you? Here is a suggested itinerary for you assuming you are on the road from Manali onwards.
Posts on Ladakh
- Click here to read all my posts on Ladakh so far
- For driving tips from Delhi to Leh in Ladakh, click here
[continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Drive,
Ladakh,
Leh,
manali
Image of the King taken at the Ladakh marathon in 2008
The Great Tibetan Marathon, the annual marathon that takes place in Ladakh, was flagged off by the King of Ladakh when the 2008 edition took place. Or at least that’s who the chief guest was identified as by the organizers.
I assumed this person to be the current ‘King’ till something strange came up while I was sorting the photos I took at the Stok Palace. The chronological order of the rulers from this family listed the last three as:
37. dKun-bzang rNam-rgyal, 1925-1974
38. Jig-med dbang-chuk rNam-rgyal, 1966-
39. bStan-rdzin Jig-med rNam-rgyal, 1997- [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
King,
Ladakh,
Marathon,
Namgyal,
Stok Palace
Running a marathon can be a challenge under the best of conditions. Imagine doing so at over 11,000 feet.
I had heard of the annual marathon in Ladakh but I was not sure if they ran the full distance of 26 miles 385 yards or did they give concessions to the runners. So I decided to personally attend the 2008 edition and see for myself. Travellers to Ladakh are advised a day of minimal physical activity before they may venture out, so harsh can the high altitudes be. And here you have runners who could be running a full marathon. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
hemis,
Ladakh,
Leh,
Marathon,
The Great Tibetan Marathon
Are you looking for any advice or assistance in planning your summer travels? Feel free to ping me at ajay@ajayjain.com. I will try to help you in any way I can especially to the following regions:
In the coming days I will be posting some suggested itineraries – do keep checking by clicking here. Of course, I may not be able to provide you all the info you need but will try on a best effort basis. Happy Holidays!! And if I am slow in responding means I am travelling myself. 
Tagged as:
Itineraries
Nakki Lake in Mount Abu
Mount Abu is an oasis in every sense of the word. With its lush green forests, water bodies and all-year round cool weather, it is perfect for flora and fauna to flourish and for human beings to get away to. For the religious minded Jain and Hindu communities of the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, it is Nirvana, or Moksha, land. For the fun seekers, this hill station in the middle of the desert is just right for soft adventure, lazing around, eating and even drinking.
Here are ten reasons why you should visit Mount Abu any time of the year: [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Achalgarh,
Dilwara Temples,
Guru Shikhar,
Mount Abu,
Nakki Lake,
Rajasthan
Image taken in Munsiyari
Explore some of the lesser known and frequented areas of Kumaon in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand and be up close and personal with the lesser touched nature. And enjoy some stunning views of Himalayan peaks in their full majesty while you drive through wooded terrain where rivers and waterfalls give you company all along.
Delhi to Munsiyari
DISTANCE
706 km
DRIVING TIME
23 Hours [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
abbott mount,
Advaita Ashram Mayavati,
Bageshwar,
Baleshwar,
Champawat,
Delhi,
munsiyari,
Patal Bhuvaneshwar,
uttarakhand,
uttaranchal,
Vijaypur,
Wayfarer Resort
