Nubra Valley in Ladakh

The Nubra Valley has a historical romance, for the much famed Silk Route meandered along the banks of Nubra. From Xinjiang provinces of China via the mighty Karakoram Pass and Daulat Beg Oldi, travelers, traders, romantics, camels and horses traveled up and down in this valley reaching Leh before starting another long journey to Central Asia via Skardu and Gilgit. The graves of Yarkandi merchants of yore that one could see even today in Hunder, a village on the banks of Nubra, is a living testimony of this past journey.

Undoubtedly, they provide a reminder, both poignant and piquant, of the vagaries that have been visited upon this Valley. Poignant, because it is testimony to the wandering ways of men and their desire to both explore and profit from their exertions, and which often meant that they lived most of their lives on the move and often died far from their homes, among strangers. Piquant, because these desires have hardly been quelled in the present age and are, if anything, all the more sharpened with the more means and the greater speed of travel. And piquant, also because these desires that are today the basis for territorial claims, can just as easily also be a means for making peace and boundaries irrelevant.

To cherish this historical romance, one should visit the Nubra Valley and enjoy real India holidays. Even the most poetic expression of this Valley will fail to do justice to the reality. Is there a poet or a historian in today's world who can take pride in aptly explaining a historical relic, which is also a contemporary anomaly?

The Nubra is also a cultural synthesis. The Nubra joins Shyok near Diskit and flows towards north to finally become a part of the grand Indus. Like these two rivers, the people and its history also flows in parallel, retaining their identities, but still a part of larger civilization. The Nubra Valley is predominantly Buddhist dotted with Muslim villages and the Shyok towards the LoC is predominantly Muslim dotted with Buddhist villages. Monasteries, Chortens, mosques and graveyards highlight the cultural synthesis of parallel lands which even today are a part of a larger Balti identity. The oneness, despite contrasts in terrain, culture and races between the two valleys has to be seen to be believed.

The Nubra is also a tourist paradise. From Silk Route to Monasteries, the villages of Nubra provide multifaceted attraction. The Indian government has recently announced its decision to allow trekking and mountaineering in Siachen. Traveling along the Nubra, one would be fascinated by the bikers from all over the world, pedaling with their head gears, like fast moving ants.
Monasteries dot the Nubra river, with the Gompa in Diskit Village, undoubtedly the oldest, largest and the most magnificent of all in this region. Of course, there are other monasteries on both sides of the Nubra, the ones in the right side of the river appearing as if being carved out of the mountains. However, the history, myth and the legend of Diskit Gompa makes it more interesting. Built in the 14th century, the locals say that there are numerous Mongolian and Tibetan manuscripts inside the Gompa. Like any other place of historical significance, there is a fascinating story associated with. According to the locals, once upon a time a Mongol demon stayed here; even after his slaying, his body kept returning and that even today the demon's furrowed head and hand lie in the monastery. The legend linking a Mongol demon in the Nubra, speaks for the historical binding of the Valley transcending the Karakoram.

There are other myths and legends in the Nubra, the Panamik pond for example. A tear-drop shaped body of water surrounded on all sides by low-rising hillocks, the Panamik pond has its own myth. As local beliefs go, the fortunate can see a reflection of the famed Potala Palace of Lhasa in its waters. Another belief is that whoever completes a parikrama (perambulation) of the pond and makes a wish will have it granted. Besides the myth, this water body is worth seeing, especially either in the early mornings or in the evenings. It certainly is a nice little walk, with a few trees along the bank providing the shade for a little shut-eye or sing-song and with numerous cairns peppering the path and the surrounding hillocks. Though the hillocks are visible from the main road, it will take an experienced driver to tell that there is a pond hidden among them. Panamik is also well know for its hot springs.

Today, Nubra's only link to the outside world lies through the Khardung La, the highest motoroable pass in the world; from salt to oil, everything comes through Leh. Once a connecting Valley between Yarkand and Central Asia, today, the Nubra has become a dead end. With every one talking about opening the routes along the Line of Control (LoC), the locals in the Nubra Valley are anxious to see the reopening of the old Silk Route. From Sasoma, the northern most village in the Nubra to the Karakoram Pass, there is a track even today, which was used by the traders and travelers in the old days. Today, it would take anywhere between 4 to 7 days if one has to trek from Sasoma to the Karakoram Pass.

It is time, that the Governments of India and China consider re-opening this route. The closure of this axis has not only shut down a famed route, but a glorious part of history and culture of two great civilizations. And that is the contemporary anomaly of a historical beauty.