The last Shangri-La. (Ladakh, India)

·期刊原文
The last Shangri-La. (Ladakh, India)

by Antonella Bestaggini
Geographical Magazine

Vol.70 No.8

August 1998

Pp.24-30

Copyright by Savedash Ltd. (UK)

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Anthropologist and travel writer Antonella Bestaggini takes a
meditative journey to Ladakh, India's highest and least populated
region.
Visitors to Ladakh shortly after it was opened to outsiders in 1974
said that much of its aura of mystery had already been lost. There
were fears that tourism would rob it of its claim to being "the last
Shangri-la". Considering its remote location, it seems they need not
have worried. Surrounded by a ring of mountains rising to over 7,000
metres, the long ice-bound winters mean that Ladakh is effectively
cut off from the rest of the world for up to eight months every
year.
Bordered to the north and east by China and to the west by Pakistan,
Ladakh's strategic prompted the Indian government to impose a ban on
foreign tourists. Since the ban was lifted in the 1970s, Ladakh has
become a popular destination especially for trekkers.
Taking its name from Ladags, which means "land of high passages",
Ladakh is one of the most spiritually rich and visually bewildering
places in the world. It is also something of a nirvana for trekkers.
When most other areas are experienceing the monsoon, Ladakh is one
of the few Himalayan regions in which it is possible to trek from
late June to mid-September.
Ladakh, which comprises the eastern corner of Jammu and Kashmir
state, is India's most remote and sparsely populated region.
Although politically the region belongs to India, culturally and
religiously it has gravitated towards Tibet.
The Ladakhi people are principally of Tibetan origin; and the area
welcomed refugees following China's 1950 inVasion of Tibet. "Little
Tibet", as Ladakh is sometimes referred to, represents one of the
last remaining enclaves of Mahayana Buddhism, its principal
religion, now supressed by the Chinese in its native Tibet. In fact,
many people believe that Ladakh is a more accurate representation of
Tibet before the Chinese invasion than Tibet itself.
Muslims, Buddhists and Christians have been crossing the Karakoram
and Great Himalaya mountain ranges of Ladakh for centuries. On foot,
horseback and camel, they have traded all sorts of goods -- pashm
(the raw material for cashmere), cotton, spices, tea, silk, carpets,
precious stones, opium and cannabis. Ladakh's capital Leh, situated
at 3,500 metres above sea level and half-way between the Punjab and
the Chinese province of Xinjiang, was an obligatory stop for the
traders. They would brave the two months journey through the
Karakoram Pass and over the Kun Lun Mountains on to the towns of
Yarkand and Khotan, on the southern stretch of the Silk Route
between China and the Mediterranean.
With tourism fast becoming Ladakh's major source of income, the
monks have capitalised on the appeal of Buddhist mystique opening
their gompas (monasteries) to visitors and moving some of the
festivals which traditionally took place in winter to the busy
summer months.
RELATED ARTICLE: PRACTICALS
When to go: The trekking season begins in the middle of June but you
may have to fly in to Leh if the roads have not opened yet and you
may be restricted to lower altitudes, depending on the amount of
snow. The peak trekking season is from mid-July to the end of August
when the days are hot and the nights refreshingly coo, but the most
popular trails get busy. September is quieter and if you visit in
the first half of the month you can see the annual Ladakh festival.
This is an immensely colourful affair in which ritual dances are
performed by mask-wearing monks and the local women dress in
traditional gonchas (long coats) and peraks (Turquoise-studded
head-dresses). The gompas of Lamayuru, Phyang and Tak Tok all all
hold festivals during the tourist season.
Getting there: Air India (Tel: 01753 684828) and British Aiirways
(0345 222111) fly regularly from London to Delhi. But shop around
because, from time to time, airlines offer special deals. Indian
Airlines fly from Delhi to Leh (128 [pounds sterling] return) four
days a week (Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun) but book early because it is
a popular flight. Overland travellers can reach Leh by bus via
Srinagar or Manali during the trekking season. Both journeys take
two days, broken up by an overnight stop. With the political
problems in Kashmir, most people now opt to take the bus from
Manali.
Visas: You will need a visa (19 [pounds sterling] for a six month
multiple entry pass). Call India House 0171 836 8484 for further
information about restricted areas.
Recommended reading: Leh and Trekking in Ladakh by Charlie Loram
(Trailblazer, 9.95pb [pounds sterling]) Indian Himalaya (Lonely
Planet, 11.99pb [pounds sterling] The Rough Guide: India (Rough
Guides, 14.99pb [pounds sterling]).
Antonella Bestaggini is a freelance writer. Dariusz Klemens is a
Polish photographer based in Oxford.