The many distinctive features of Ladakh are its uplands, craggy, barren cliffs and plateaus. Governed by a climate that provides about 50 mm of rainfall each year, Ladakh is cold and dry. A visitor, therefore, will be faced with a long and bitter winter of frozen landscape but yet very beautiful, and a short, hot summer when he precious glaciers melt.

Change is way of life in Ladakh, specially so with the people of Ladakh, their culture, religion and way of life. With the strong prevalence of Buddhism,. The Buddhist monastery, or 'gompa' is a pivotal force in Ladakhi life. Besides being center-stage during all celebrations and ceremonies, a gompa and its Lamas are involved in education, medication and many such social activities.

Then there are the lovely Ladakhis. Cut-off, yet content, their most winning feature is a total absence of urbanity. How reassuring it is to meet a Ladakhi-simple, cheerful and so incredibly industrious. Against the harsh backdrop of barrenness, the famous Ladakhi spirit shines like a beacon. With a total population of less than 150,000, the people of Ladakh belong to a variety of races, such as the hunja, Daradas, mons and Droks. The latter have the distinction of being survivors of pure Aryan stock, and the men of this race are called the Drokpas.
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Among the various attributes of Ladakhi life that strike an outsider as beautiful yet strange is the headgear that is worn by the women-the perak it is called. Studded in close rows on this long article of skin from the black lamb, are a dazzling variety of precious stones, with the turquoise the most striking. During the various festivals celebrated in the gompas, the sight of many women clustered together is indeed phenomenal, owing largely to the perak, which is also considered an heirloom of the family.
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Monasteries in Ladakh may be either of the Mahayana or the Hinayana sect of Buddhism. The head lama is called a'kushak', meaning reincarnation. The gompas of Ladakh are what give the region its unique flavor and beauty. Typically, most gompas are built so that they perch precariously on lone rocks or craggy mountain-faces.

Hemis, the largest monastery in Ladakh, is a surprise to the traveler, as it cannot be seen from the road. Impressive and intriguing, Hemis is different from the other important monasteries of Ladakh. The annual festival, commemorating the birth anniversary of gugu Padmasambhava, is held for two days in June-July, enlivening the courtyard of the monastery. The festival of dances, where good triumphs over evil in a colourful pageant, is also the annual 'bazaar' where Ladakhis from remote areas buy and sell wares.

However important these festivals may be to the native of Ladakh, he or she is really most at home while working, be it in the fields during the short summer, or in the house during the arduous and extremely cold months of winter. Most of the local people are farmers.

A specific variety of barley, grim, is grown and eaten. The dzo, a hybrid between the yak and cow and hardy enough for the climate of Ladakh, is used to plough fields. Beautiful, exotic flowers such as the iris, and larkspurs are common during the warmer months. Production of the famous 'pashmina' and other varieties of wool is a major profession, since sheep, goats and yak are in plenty. The 'toosh' deer also resides here, from which is derived the glamorous 'shahtoosh' wool. Synomymous with Ladakh is the yak; its meat, horns, hooves, hide, hair and even the tail are useful.

The Ladakhis believe in hard work. The long, bleak and cold months of winter find them busy weaving wool into garments, making local handicrafts to be sold during the festivals and manufacturing ropes, bags and other such useful articles.
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These simple folk also follow a special social structure. Interestingly, the eldest son of the family inherits all the property, gets married, and must also shoulder responsibility for looking after the rest of the family. In further attempt to retain the original family unit, another peculiar custom is practiced. The younger sons may either live on in the family and also be husbands to their sister-in-law or they can become lamas and get recruited into a monastery. These customs are still prevalent, though attempts are being made by the law to make the situation morally more acceptable.

The lamas, on the other hand, like most servants of God and world over, are totally set apart from wordly affairs. There must be close to 5000 lamas in ladakh. Hemis monastery clone can house 150 lamas at any one time. There is a gompa in every village, with its income coming from gifted land and donations. The monastery land is tilled by peasants and not the lamas who are not supposed to do such work.
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Valuable works of art, 'tangkhas' and masks, musical instruments of a typical kind, and various precious figurines are housed in the gompas. Hemis is specially renowned for a huge painting of the Buddha, which is displayed once in 11 years. Thikse monastery, near Leh, is considered an architectural wonder, whereas Shey monastery has a huge gold-plated, copper statue of the Bdudha. Alchi, Likir and Lamayuru are amongst the oldest gompas of Ladakh; Alchi was built 1000 years back, and Likir in the 11th century. Each monastery, distinct and attractive, imparts of Ladakh that specially intense culture, where simplicity is so intricately interwoven with colour and industry.

One could travel right through Ladakh and yet not glimpse it all, for there is so much unsaid and unseen. Whether it is the Ladakhi or his music, or the hard-hitting majesty of the landscape one cannot say, but Ladakh leaves a strong stamp on its visitor's mind. One is always waiting to go back there, into the barren wilderness.
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The nearest airport is Leh. There are flights from Delhi, Chandigarh and Srinagar.
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It is a two-day journey from Srinagar to Leh (434 kilometers) with an overnight halt at Kargil. The road is open from June to October. There is also a road from Manali to Leh via Keylong open from June-October. Leh-Ladakh.touristplacesinindia.com as a leading travel agent for India could arrange all your road transportation for Leh and Ladakh.
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