Ladakh :: Shangri La on Earth

Over a period of time now that we have proudly led the Ladakh Tour, what does Ladakh remind us of? Long stretches of the dry yellow desert… The turquoise green Indus carving a deep gorge and then meeting with the murky and playfully turbulent Zanskar… Long high passes taking bends one after another… Silence echoing from the walls of the mountains, occasionally creating a duet with deep voices of the monks… Vibrant colored sculptures of the Buddhist deities occupying the dark walls of the monasteries… the swirling wind… the shifting dunes… burning skies at the sunset along with the soaring gulls and vultures … the Bactrian camels walking on the edges of the dunes… the wild asses called Kiangs spraying dust above the plains while marmots peek from their burrows in the soft marshy land…  A high flowing creek breaking the silence to join the incredibly pristine blue Pangong Tso lake… It’s as overwhelming as it can get!!

Taking our students or people there who love nature and culture, is more than just a living for us. This is our sheer love for Ladakh. Many monasteries here are architectural masterpieces and are decorated attractively inside. It gives me a special pleasure to see the curiosity being unfolded as we travel, giving our participants and friends some special time so they can forget everything at home or work and immerse themselves in the feeling of bliss. 

Ladakh is affectionately called the “Little Tibet” of India The sole reason being its geographical and cultural proximity to Tibet. Arid, snow-capped mountains with sharp ridges, picture-perfect Gompas (Monasteries), plunging green valleys, high altitude Pangong lake, stretches of the desert valley of Nubra, fluttering prayer flags around whitewashed stupas, and the colorful streets of Leh. This region is austerely beautiful and tucked away in the lap of nature away from the luxuries of life. Who would not want a slice of this paradise and escape from city chaos for a few days?

Yet, there are special moments when we come into the picture, as we all look forward to photographing this extraordinary paradise.  Moments like when the sun accelerates on its path to the horizon and the soft golden glow falls on the mother earth as the sunset nears, or when a single candle or light spreads the light in dark monasteries when the river meanders and creates a lovely composition or a nesting pair of bar-headed geese glides over the gentle waves of the lake, and not to forget the vast universe of stars shimmer and the milky way galaxy appears as we camp on the Pangong lake. What a perfect photographic opportunity!