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A lone horse grazing by the wetlands near the Tsokar lake.
Photo taken at the Thukje village.
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Grasslands along the banks of the Pangong lake at the Merak village.
The glacial run of stream from the mountain irrigates the grasslands making this spot one of the most beautiful camping spots in Ladakh.
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The mountains of Chang Chemo range leading to the disputed Aksai Chin plateau.
The mountains of the Chang Chemo range on the far side of the Pangong Lake. The Change Chemo range of mountains lead to the disputed Aksai Chin plateau. The dispute over the control of the Aksai Chin plateau is the reason for the 1962 war between India and China when India discovered that China was building a road through the Aksai Chin plateau to connect its Xinjiang region with Tibet.To learn more about the mountain ranges and geography of Ladakh, check out the following Kettik article. Getting to know the Mountain ranges of Ladakh
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Can you see it ? Rainbow over the Tsomoriri lake in Ladakh.
A rainbow was the last thing i expected to see on a sunny October morning in Ladakh. But this magical land is always full of surprises and this was a special one.I arrived at the banks of the Tsomoriri lake late on the previous evening and unable to find the way to the Korzok village, i camped by the lakeside. At 4400m, the night was slightly cold and windy and i had just a packet of biscuits for dinner. You might think that its a tough situation to be in, but i enjoyed every minute of it.The next morning i woke up to a beautiful sunny day and spent the morning basking in the warm sunlight. There was nobody around for miles and i felt that i had the lake all to myself. And if that wasn't enough, i spotted the mountains putting on a small welcome show for me with this beautiful subtle little rainbow.Its days like this that make you feel as if you are the luckiest person alive.
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Guiding the flock home. Village scene from Hymia in the Indus valley.
A typical evening scene probably played out at every village in Ladakh everyday. Shepherds guiding their flock home through the fields of their village. This particular photo was taken at the Hymia village along the Indus valley.
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A magical sunset scene from the Stok village in Ladakh.
Sunset is always a magical time in Ladakh with the mountain ranges throwing out various hues of yellow and orange light as the shadows slowly creep up their sides. This is a view of one such sunset from the Stok village with the Stok palace in the foreground.Photo Note: This is a perfect scenario for using a GND filter. But even with a GND (3 stop) the range between the lights and shadows was so great that i had to use 'soft' filters in Lightroom to balance the exposure.
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Oh those piercing eyes. A Ladakhi portrait in the Indus Valley.
I love the captivating eyes and the warm smiles (you'll see) of the Ladakhi/Tibetan people. This photo was taken at a restaurant in the Hymia village where i camped overnight while cycling along the Indus valley. This kid was so fascinated by me, the he(/she) sat observing me the whole time i was at the restaurant. And, I in turn was captivated as well.
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Salt beds and Marshes around Tsokar lake
The TsoKar ('White Lake') is one of the three high altitude salt water lakes in Ladakh. It is located at an altitude of 4660m/15280ft in the Changthang region of South Eastern Ladakh. The reason why it is called the 'White Lake' ('Kar' - White, 'Tso' - Lake) is obvious when one visits the lake and sees all the white salt deposits all over the lake shoresRead more here.
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The Tibetan Argali Homestay at the Thukje village near Tsokar lake.
There are a few home stays available in the village. We stayed at a place called the Tibetan Argali Homestay, which is located right by the main road opposite the Thukje monastery (which is located on a small hill overlooking the village). Even if the place is closed, you can track down the lama of the monastery and he should be able to arrange some food and accommodation for you. The lama also runs a small provision store and you can find a few basic elements like biscuits and noodles.
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Nomadic kids at the Sumdo village
These kids belong to nomadic families. While the family are away busy grazing their flocks in the high altitude grasslands these kids stay in the boarding school and study. At sumdo village there is a school run by the SOS organization. Travelers can stay there for free, but a small donation is appreciated.
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Salt beds near the Tsokar lake
The TsoKar ('White Lake') is one of the three high altitude salt water lakes in Ladakh. It is located at an altitude of 4660m/15280ft in the Changthang region of South Eastern Ladakh. The reason why it is called the 'White Lake' ('Kar' - White, 'Tso' - Lake) is obvious when one visits the lake and sees all the white salt deposits all over the lake shores.Read more here.
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Marshes around Tsokar lake
What sets the Tsokar lake apart from the other two, Pangong and Tsomoriri, lakes is that landscape here is composed of many different elements which are all beautiful in their own right but combine together to provide a visual extravaganza which cannot be matched anywhere else in Ladakh. We have the wetlands with numerous streams flowing through them, lust grasslands, dry salt flats and strange tiny multi-colored hillocks most probably created by the salt deposits. And also the lake itself, vast, deceptively close but actually quite far away (atleast a couple of kilometers away from the village).Read more here.
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Kiang
A herd of Kiang (Tibetan wild ass) grazing near the Tsokar lake
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Window to a beautiful world
A typical ladakhi house at the Sumdo village overlooking the route to the Tsokar lake via the Pologongla pass.
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Marshes surrounding the Tsokar Lake
What sets the Tsokar lake apart from the other two, Pangong and Tsomoriri, lakes is that landscape here is composed of many different elements which are all beautiful in their own right but combine together to provide a visual extravaganza which cannot be matched anywhere else in Ladakh. We have the wetlands with numerous streams flowing through them, lust grasslands, dry salt flats and strange tiny multi-colored hillocks most probably created by the salt deposits. And also the lake itself, vast, deceptively close but actually quite far away (atleast a couple of kilometers away from the village).Read more here.
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SOS school at Sumdo village for nomadic kids.
At sumdo village there is a school run by the SOS organization. Travelers can stay there for a small donation fee."Sumdo, along with Thukje, is most of the most rustic villages i've come across in Ladakh. It is located in the Rupshu valley high on the Changthang Plateau. The villages here are nomadic ChangPa people who rear their precious pashmina goats in the high altitude grassland slopes of the mountains surrounding them.The look of the village and of its people is more Tibetan than Ladakhi. And the village definitely has a wild feel to it.So imagine my pleasant surprise to discover that there are not one, but boarding schools here. The one in Sumdo is run by the international SOS charity organization. And 5km down the road in Puga, there is another boarding school run by the local government. While their parents are up in the mountains seeking one lush pasture after other, their kids stay back in the schools and study. The motto of these schools is "Come to Learn. Go to Serve". Very meaningful."From story :Â The story behind the portraits : A few memorable moments from Ladakh
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Small streams flowing through the marshy wetlands of the Tsokar lake.
What sets the Tsokar lake apart from the other two, Pangong and Tsomoriri, lakes is that landscape here is composed of many different elements which are all beautiful in their own right but combine together to provide a visual extravaganza which cannot be matched anywhere else in Ladakh. We have the wetlands with numerous streams flowing through them, lust grasslands, dry salt flats and strange tiny multi-colored hillocks most probably created by the salt deposits. And also the lake itself, vast, deceptively close but actually quite far away (atleast a couple of kilometers away from the village).Read more here.
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Sonam Karma
"She came, a tiny thing carrying a big yellow can over her shoulders like a backpack. She was smiling at me, the biggest, the most beautiful, warm, friendly smile that i have ever encountered. I smiled back. Without exchanging a word we acknowledged each other's presence and there was a sense of familiarity between us. If there was ever a moment to be captured and remembered, then this was it. But i realized that i did not have my camera with me and at the same moment knew that the camera would've spoilt this moment, making the divide between us more obvious and apparent. She crossed the stream and walked on by. I did not see her again that day."From story : Sonam And Karma, Two Siblings With Two Different Destinies.
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The Thukje village on the north shore of the Tsokar lake.
The Thukje village itself was more rustic than the typical Ladakhi village in central Ladakh. The houses were small, made of stones with a simple flat thatched roof. The roof of the houses were all stocked with dung patties (as opposed to dried grass in central Ladakh). Life is tough here with meagre resources and the Changpa nomads have to make to with what best they have. Their livestock.Read more here.
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A local changpa kid posing for picture on his donkey
"The next morning, i was by the stream again taking a few pictures and i met Karma. He was a chirpy little boy studying at the SOS school in the village. He was eager to show off the few english words he knew. The usual, "What is your name ?", "Where are you coming from ?" routine. Once he exhausted all his sentences, we kept the conversation flowing by playing the 'name that object in english' game.Soon our encounter turned in to photo shoot with Karma eager to pose for the camera. He then took me to his home and there i met the girl from the day before. Her name was Sonam and unlike her brother, she did not know a word of english or even hindi."From story :Â Sonam And Karma, Two Siblings With Two Different Destinies.
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A typical stone house at the Thukje village near the Tsokar lake.
The Thukje village itself was more rustic than the typical Ladakhi village in central Ladakh. The houses were small, made of stones with a simple flat thatched roof. The roof of the houses were all stocked with dung patties (as opposed to dried grass in central Ladakh). Life is tough here with meagre resources and the Changpa nomads have to make to with what best they have. Their livestock.Read more here.
Travels of Saravana
