UP ABOVE THE WORLD SO HIGH AND BREATHLESS TOO -NUBRA AND DISKIT -LADAKH JOURNEY

It was the start of a fresh day and we vacated our room and placed our suitcases in the hotel lobby for safe keeping in the store room, we had packed 3 pairs of clothes each into a suitcase for a 2 day tour to Nubra valley and Pangong lake 

We had our breakfast and set going on our tour, Nubra is also called Dumra meaning a valley of flowers, it forms a tri-armed valley cut by Nubra and Shyok rivers. The best time to visit is in summers between the months of June and September when the weather would be congenial

Located at a distance of 150 km north of Leh town, the travelling time required to reach this valley ranges between 5-6 hours.

Though initially the roads were fine and motor able , gradually we found that the terrain became uneven. 

We stopped at a view point to see the awesome views around us, there was the customary small rugged tea stall serving the omni present hot noodles and masala chai 

As we traveled I was reminded of the song “ Yeh Kaun Chitrakar Hai '’sung by our Mukesh, how does one even attempt to describe the beauty of nature around, the brown ,stark and rugged mountains through which silken strands of roads were woven skillfully

We were looking in silent awe at the stark beauty spread before us , occasionally our attention was diverted by the beautiful  feathery clouds beckoning us to play hide and seek with them 

The conventional route that is preferred by almost everyone who comes to Ladakh trip, the Leh to Nubra road via Khardung La takes us over what is known to be the highest motor able civilian all weather pass. 

The road from Leh to South Pullu was good and ascending and we got our inner permits checked there, but from that point to the summit of Khardung La, it was all gravel and slushy trail. 

Standing at the height of 17,580 feet above sea level, the Khardung La Pass has played a significant role in Ladakh’s popularity and has provided an ease of travel and commute, it is important to the army stationed in Siahen and was once an important part of the Caravan trade route that led to Kashgar in central Asia and was traversed by thousands of horses and camels. The descendants of those are what we would be shortly seeing - the Bactrian Camels.

Until very recently, it was the world’s highest motorable road and was surpassed by ‘Umlingla Pass’ which has been built at an altitude of 19,300 feet.

As we neared the pass it was exciting to know that we were performing a difficult task of reaching such heights that too after entering 60 years age

Khardungla was indeed crowded and tourists were literally vying with one another to pose in front of the huge sign that claims, you are (almost) on top of the world 

Each tourist inadvertently and invariably was being photographed by other groups as it happens in most tourist places 

All around us we could see brightly colored Buddhist prayer flags fluttering in the rapid winds

Snow-capped mountain landscapes with snow flowing down them as if dollops of vanilla ice cream was being dished out generously by the mountain kings

Mindful of the fact that we should not linger there for long, not more than 15 to 20 minutes, my brain gave my usual alarm ,my hubby by now used to my strict time keeping went sighing in search of our driver who was nonchalantly having his hot cuppa butter chai ,I shuddered within myself seeing the butter chai as I had an unhappy encounter with it in Bhutan which led to severe bouts of vomiting which were indeed gut wrenching ,L.O.L

I was wondering how the mountaineers would feel after laboriously hiking up the steep mountains whereas here we were feeling so exalted and thrilled even after having traveled in a comfortable vehicle From the pass we would be going to Diskit headquarters of Nubra and Hunder and stopped at a small dhaba sort of eating place with seating improvised from old discarded tires of various sizes 

First we reached the Khardung La Village and then North Pullu where we had to show the permits again.

After Khardung La Village, we reached Khalsar, where the road bifurcated. The right road lead to Sumur, Panamik and Warshi, while the left one which we took lead to Diskit and Turtuk.

Both the roads were scenic and each turn gave us the best of the views, however putting a rude break to my dreamy thoughts our driver showed  the skeleton of a small car perched upside down on a hill ,of course I had to ask our driver if any of the tourists in the car had survived fully knowing the answer

I was admiring the motor cyclists happily whipping past us enjoying the winds freely ,I remarked to my hubby what if a miracle made us younger and offered us the chance of motor cycling adventurously we could travel all over the mountains ,he smiled at me tolerantly

Surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan ranges, Nubra valley lies sandwiched between Tibet and Kashmir and it is actually an extension of the Tibetan Plateau (Qing-Zang Plateau) that starts in China and extends up to Ladakh and is the most beautiful part of Ladakh. 

Nubra region is divided into "Diskit  Nubra" in the north and the "Darbuk region" in the south, Siachen Glacier lies to the north of the valley.

The valley in winter looks bare without any vegetation and is compared to the landscape of the moon and so aptly called moon -land 

The average altitude of the valley is more than 10,000 feet above the sea level with rare precipitation and so has scant vegetation except along river beds where the people choose to dwell

As we travel we see beautiful green patches amidst the gray arid landscape and as we go nearer we can appreciate villages with pukka houses , agriculture going on, shops, schools and hospitals ,people going about their routine chores ,We have to really appreciate and admire their tenacity to withstand and mould their lives to the climate changes

The villages are irrigated and fertile, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard and a variety of fruits and nuts, including blood apples, walnuts, apricots and even a few almond trees which we found all over Leh and we came to know that most of Nubra is inhabited by Buddhists.

As we traveled further I noticed that some of the stark hills now were sheltering mounds of white sand which was a stunning feature to see and these were supposed to change constantly with the wind

As we entered the Nubra valley we could see green and healthy trees  lo suddenly we caught the sight of the 32 meter statue of Maitreya Buddha the landmark of Nubra , it is maintained by the Diskit Monastery. 

Maitreya Buddha is the image of the future incarnation of Buddha, the founder of Buddhist belief, the depiction has a significant place in the Nubra Valley. 

The Maitreya Buddha was located on the top of a steep hill inside the grounds of Diskit Monastery ,we could go quite near it in our car and we then climbed to its base ,view from the statue was spell bounding and we could get a panoramic view of the Diskit monastery and the surrounding villages and green fields

The gold and red colored statue looked over the entire valley and was facing west towards Pakistan. Declared Sacred by the 14th Dalai Lama himself, the statue was made with 3 thoughts in mind; protection of Diskit , avoid further wars with Pakistan and to promote peace in the world. 

The statue had intricate carvings with brilliant craftsmanship and vivid colors. The hall beneath the statue housed a vast variety of Buddhist literature and a collection of statues, including those of Shakyamuni Buddha and Guru Rimpoche.

Buddha's statue was set up in 2006 and officially inaugurated by Dalai Lama in 2010. Natives from the valley helped in the construction and the gold used in the statue was donated by the heads of other major monasteries around. 

As I sat on the bench and looked steadily at the statue towering over me I felt  relaxed and serene ,the statue was trying to tell me that in spite of all the prevailing strife and evils in the present world, peace will ultimately prevail ,such experiences are indeed humbling and worth all the long and difficult travel

The main village, Diskit, is home to the dramatically positioned Diskit Monastery which was built in 1420 AD, it is the largest and the oldest Gompa in Nubra Valley . 

Built in the 14th century, the monastery is mostly known for its beautiful architecture and its amazing placement atop a hill, it overlooks the town of Diskit and the entire Nubra Valley.

Inside the monastery, there is a statue of Cho Rinpoche (Crowned Buddha), a large drum and many depictions of the guardian deities of Buddhism, alongside a large fresco of Tashilhunpo Monastery of Tibet.