Kargil :tourist boom after 10 years of war

Kargil is a district of Jammu & Kashmir bounded by Baramullah, Srinagar and Doda Districts in the South-West, Leh District in the East, Himachal Pradesh in the South and Pakistan in the North-West. Kargil derives its name from two words Khar means castle and rkil means centre thus a place between castles as it lies between many kingdoms. The majority of the population is the Shia Muslims, an Islamic sect that regards Muhammad’s cousin Ali and his successors as the true imams.



Kargil is strategically located midway between Srinagar (204 Kms) and Leh, (234 kms) on the Srinagar-Leh highway and is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh region. Before partition of India, it was an important trading centre for the Central-Asian merchants due to its unique equidistant location (about 200-230 kms) from Srinagar, Leh and Skardo. Kargil town serves as a base for expeditions to the Suru Valley and Zanskar valley. It is the abode for adventurous tourists as they can undertake trekking and other adventure sports like mountaineering, camping, river- rafting, etc. in the high Himalayan valleys. It is also a convenient base for taking excursions to the Wakha- Mulbek valley, where the chief attraction is a 9 m high rock sculpture of Maitreya, besides other monuments. One can have an interesting excursion option to visit Drass to see its famous features like Tolo-ling, Tiger Hill and the Mushkoo Valley, well known throughout India on account of the extensively televised conflict on the LoC between India and Pakistan during May-August, 1999. Visitors traveling to Leh from Srinagar should take a halt here for the forward journey.Walking through the suburban villages along the side of river valleys is a mere experience. The best walking starts from Goma Kargil along a 2-km long winding road that passes through some of the most picturesque parts of the town, offering spectacular views of the Himalayas. The scenery of the surrounding is best taken in the afternoon as the setting sun plays magic with the changing hues and shades of the hills. The terraced township with hillside orchards is an enchanting sight in May when the trees are in full bloom. Kargil has suffered shelling during the conflict between India and Pakistan in 1999, hence check the situation before visiting

How to reach KargilThe only way to reach the land-locked Kargil is by roads. You can either take bus or taxi to reach the mountainous region. The main pass between Srinagar and Kargil is closed from November to May due to heavy snowfall. Kargil is 205 kms from Srinagar and 230 kms from Leh and can be better approached on National Highway No. 1A.

Rivers & ValleySuru Valley

Suru ValleySuru Valley starts from Kargil and runs 100 kms to the southeast. One of Ladakh’s most fertile regions, it boosts rolling alpine forests, mud-walled villages and snowcapped mountains. The valley is watered by the melting snows giving rich harvests of barley and plantations of willow and poplar, especially around Sankhu village. Close to the Sankhu village you can see the ruins of some forts and monasteries from the valley’s pre-Islamic past. The valley offers some magnificent sights of the prehistoric rock paintings as seen from far away. Expeditions to the mountains are possible from the picturesque village of Panikhar (about 25 kms from Sankhu village) which is covered with alpine flowers during June and July. The natural beauty is heightened by the towering peaks of Nun (7135 m) and Kun (7087 m) with their crystalline majesty. The exotic Suru Valley with about a dozen villages strung around, Panikhar comprises a series of intensively cultivated plateaus, descending in level steps, to the bed of the Suru River which here receives the gushing waters of Chelong River.

Zanskar Valley

Zanskar ValleySome 20 kms away from Rangdum stands the Panzila axis, across which lies Zanskar, the most isolated of all the trans-Himalayan valleys. The Penzila pass (4,401m) is a picturesque raised ground surrounded by snow-covered peaks. A long and winding river of ice and snow, "Drang-Drung" is perhaps the largest glacier in Ladakh, outside the Siachen formation. It is the very glacier from which Stod or Doda tributary of the Zanskar River rises.There is a certain mystique about Zanskar. This is no doubt due to its remoteness and high altitude and is difficult to access but its reputation as a Sangri-La is due to its landscapes, the simplicity of life in villages and the serene atmosphere all around. The valley is situated between the Great Himalayan Range and the Zanskar mountains, the three arms radiating star-like towards the west, north and south from a wide central expanse. Here the Zanskar River comes into being by the confluence of its two Himalayan tributaries, the Stod/Doda and the Lingti-Tsarap Rivers. The main places of attractions in the Zanskar valley are the mountainous ramparts of this ‘Shangri-La’, a number of ancient yet active monastic establishments. In addition, the haunting beauty of the spectacular landscape and the ancient culture of this formidable land are wonderful and enjoyable.