Eat | Summer Harvest See | Khardung La

Eat | Summer Harvest
T
his warm restaurant on Fort Road in Leh
serves a delectable spread from across
cuisines: Tibetan, Ladakhi, Continental, Indian (Kashmiri, in particular), and
Chinese. It serves both vegetarian and
non-vegetarian food. Though the menu tries to be accommodating of the tourist milieu, its spice-meter is
distinctly tilted towards the sub-continent's palate. So,
if you are used to mild food, you should order for an
extra dollop of yak butter and lots of beverages to put
out the fire. The place has a quirky decor, replete with
faux-traditional lacquered wood columns and paper
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twilight shot enroute Pangong by Harish Bhargava
Lets
Leh
lanterns hanging from the ceiling. All of this combined,
makes it a popular hang-out place among tourists and
locals alike.
See | Khardung La
Popularly known as the world's highest motor-able
road, the Khardung La serves as gateway to Shyok and
Nubra valleys in Ladakh.
From Leh to Khardung La, the road is asphalted for about
24 km till the South Pullu check-point. Beyond this, the
road is made up of gravel and dirt track till the North
Pullu check-point. Since it is a narrow path, direction
of vehicular traffic is regulated by the time of the day.
So, it would be a good idea to check with locals - taxi
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drivers, travel agencies, even your hotel,
about the timings. The condition of the
'road' combined with the highly unstable
weather means that you can be left
stranded for hours or even days around
its narrow and precarious 'necks'. So, do
prepare yourself mentally and materially
when you plan to visit Khardung La (La
means pass in Tibetan, which you must
have figured out by now).
Make a difference |
Children’s Village
Foreign tourists require the Inner Line
Permit (ILP) to cross the pass which
can be obtained from the District
Commissioner’s office in Leh. Make
sure to keep as many as six photocopies
of your permit as every check-point
needs a copy of your permit before
letting your through. The pass offers,
like the rest of Ladakh, amazing views
and air so pristine that one feels guilty to
breathe out into it. So, despite its many
hassles, the Khardung La is worth a visit.
Shop | Jigmat Couture
Ladakh is not a shopping destination
and yet you would want to pick up
souvenirs in memory of your time here.
Jigmat Couture, is the best place in
town. It is Ladakhi fashion, using locally
sourced textiles, in a contemporary
rendition. Their accessories have been
in the photo-shoots for Vogue. Since the
Jigmats, both wife & husband are NIFT
graduates and are deeply committed to
promoting talented local artisans, they
work with people from remote corners
of the region. There are two stores for
you to shop from - Jigmat Studio in the
Stok Palace and Jigmat Couture opposite
the district library.
Pray | Hemis Gompa
The Hemis Gompa (Gompa is
monastery in Tibetan) is regarded as the
largest monastic institution in Ladakh. It
belongs to the Drukpa (meaning dragon)
Lineage of Mahayana Buddhism (one of
tow major branches of the religion).
Situated in the foothills of Indus, about
45 kilometers from Leh, the monastery
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has a rich collection of art and artefacts
such as the statue of the Buddha made
of copper, murals, sacred Thangkas (a
Thangka is a painting on cotton or silk
applique, usually depicting a Buddhist
deity, scene or symbol).The Hemis
is divided into two parts - Dukhang,
the assembly hall and Tshogkhang,
the temple. The huge courtyard of the
monastery is where all celebration and
public functions are held. Below the
Gompa is an abode for nuns, called
Chomoling.
When you visit the Hemis Gompa, it
would be a good idea to stay overnight so
that you can view the rituals conducted
in the morning hours in the monastery.
There are a range of luxury hotels, home
stays and monastery accommodation for
you to choose from.
October, 2014
Do you know what it means to be a
refugee? To leave everything that
know and that is your’s behind and
plunging into the great unknown
in a strange land? Over the years,
thousands of Tibetan refugees have
trudged to tens of refugee camps
across Indian states. Conditions in
these camps, as you can well imagine,
are nowhere near the quality of living
that you and I enjoy and scarcely give
a second thought to. Over the years,
many aid agencies, governments and
philanthropists have contributed to
making life better for the inhabitants
of these camps. And yet, more needs
to be done with each passing day. In its
endeavor to work for the betterment
of the communities where it works,
Let’sleh supports the Children’s
Village in Leh Ladakh. You too
can join hands with Let’sleh and
contribute as little as INR 400 per
year to make a difference. Of the INR
400, INR 35 will go into a festival
and celebration fund for the children
of the village. The rest goes towards
their living expenses, education and
health expenses. You can get involved
and can also encourage your friends
to join in. For more details, write to:
[email protected]
Season | Ladakh Winters
September onwards the snow at
higher altitudes may clog the passes.
The normally bare mountains adorn
themselves in thick snow blankets.
The scant vegetation sheds its leaves.
The sky remains a playful blue or a
pre-snow white. And, of course, the
temperature dips with each passing day
to even -25 degrees from December
to February. Consequently, the streets
gradually get empty of the tourists and
the locals huddle at home.
All said, do not let the not-so-balmy
weather intimidate you. There are
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Weathervane | October
“LetsLeh.com works with Ladakh Winter Sports Club in Leh Ladakh to
support and promote Ice Hockey’. Want to be a part of this initiative / need
more information ? contact us @ [email protected]”
things that you can do only in the
winters, such as walking on water!
do the much acclaimed Chader trek
on the frozen Zanskar river, watch
exciting Ice Hockey with local clubs
and teams fighting it out on the frozen
ponds. Drape yourself in some warm
clothes from head to toe and enjoy the
Ladakhi winter!
Speak | Leh Lover
After travelling to more than 50 tourist
destinations around India, I had a
dream to go to Leh. Finally in July
2013 I made my dream true and fled to
Ladakh for 10 days.
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It was made within a week when me
and my school friends said yes for this
trip. We planned to take a flight and
wanted to enjoy more in Leh not on the
way to Leh. I have heard a lot about leh
before that if you are going leh then you
should experience the road way through
Srinagar or Manali. But I declined this
and wanted to go there by flight & In the
end I found it worth going by flight and
enjoy more in Leh. Leh & Ladakh is itself
much bigger to travel and to experience
for your life. People generally says that I
want to go to Leh once in Life But After
went to Leh I will regret this comment
and want to say that I want to go to Leh
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again & again. I just love this place, i love
the nature in play here, i love the peace
there, I just love being there. I don’t
know but I want to experience winter in
Leh very soon.
During this beautiful journey, I & 2
of my school friends have Traveled to
Pangong lake & Nubra Valley by local
car & experienced mountain biking on
Leh - Kargil NH 1 highway. It was all
truly one of the best experience of my
life. I can't wait for the day when I will
visit Leh again especially in Winters :)
- Atishay Jain | Biker, Photographer,
Leh Lover
October, 2014
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