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The Dard people claimed to be of Aryan race occupied lower Ladakh in about 200 BC. The inhabitants of the existing villages around khaltse are of the dard race. Over the course of many years, they mixed with the cultures of the Tibetan race.
Historians called the people of Dah, Hanu, Garkon, Dartsik and Batalik the Dard because they have been migrated from a place called Dardistan which is believed to be located near Gilgit (now in Pakistan). The word “Dard” is derived from Sanskrit which means people who live on the hill side. Some historians assert that when Alexandar’s army that came to India in 300 BC. returned to Greece left behind some troops in the Gilgit area and so Greece is the region where the Dard originated.
Ladakhis called them Brokpa or Drokpa which means people moving from place to place with their cattle in search of pasture. Before their permanent settlement in the above-mentioned villages, they were constantly travelling through Baltistan, Purig, Zanskar, Nubra and even in the upper region of Ladakh. The migration routes are clearly mentioned in their folk songs and they still sing those songs during their New Year and harvest festivals.
Drogpa areas have been outlined in the Tour Circuits. All the five Drogpa villages in Ladakh are open for foreign tourists. The greatest attraction in these areas are the villages, which are entirely populated by last remaining remnants of the Dards in the District. Dards are considered as last race of Aryans confined to Indus Valley. These villages have considerable anthropological and ethnographic importance. Chhopo Srubla, the harvest festivals is the most popular festival in this area. These are considered rare and eventful the year of Drogpa in which all the people of these villages come out in their colourful traditional dress and festival moods to celebrate the festivals.
NOTE:- All the itineraries can be customized to suit your own special interests, preferences, abilities, extension and reduction of numbers of days.
Our services start with your arrival at Leh airport. Meet & greet and transfer to the Hotel. Welcome drink on arrival. We recommend you completely relax for the rest of the day to enable yourselves to acclimatize to the rarefied air at the high altitude, tourist can explore the Leh market and shanti stupa in the evening only if you feel fine. O/N hotel
After breakfast take a full day excursion to renowned monasteries and palaces of Ladakh region.
Founded in 1433 by Palden Sherab. Thiksey monastery is the most beautiful monastery of Ladakh. This monastery majestically overlooks the valley, a magnificent group of about 80 monks; discovery of the beautiful inner courtyard which distributes access to the various temples. The most amazing is certainly the temple of Maitreya with its gigantic interior statue which covers all floors of the building. To join the next site, we will take the path of school children.
Founded in 1632 by Lama Staktsang Raspa. Visit Hemis Monastery, it is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage. The monastery houses an amazing collection of the age-old relics such as the idol of Lord Buddha made up of copper gilt, gold and silver stupas It holds the distinction of being the biggest as well as the wealthiest monastery of Ladakh. The annual Hemis festival honoring Padmasambhava is held here in June.
On the way back to Leh visit Shey (Built in 17th century by king Deldan Namgyal) capital of ancient Ladakh, is an interesting complex whose importance is still measured by the quality of the paintings and the astonishing quantity of chortens or other votive monuments that surround it, especially the copper gilt statue of lord Buddha The Rock-carved statue of five Buddha can be seen below the palace on the roadside, which was probably carved during the reign of Singay Namgyal.
Built in 1825th by king Tsespal Tundup Namgyal. the Stok Palace , residence of the present kings of Ladakh. Transformed into a museum , the collections presented evoke a recent past where the royal family ruled over this valley.O/N hotel
After breakfast drive to Dah-Bemma enroute magnetic hill,Sangam & visit Likir, also known as lu-Khyil gompa, the Likir Monastery was ordered to built by the 5th king of Ladakh Lhachen Gyalpo and was thus founded by Lama Duwang Chosje in 1065. The monastery is of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, visit Alchi temple Renowned as the oldest Buddhist learning centre, the Alchi Gompa is one of the magnificently built monasteries in Ladakh. Located 70 kilometres west of Leh on the banks of the Indus River, it is also the largest and most famous of the gompas built by Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangpo in 11th century. Drive continue to Khaltse, from where you need to leave Srinagar highway and follow river Indus to reach at Achinathang and further drive will take you to Beema village. O/N hotel
Morning after having breakfast, we will visit the some monastery and two villages Dah- Beema, which are two of the five villages inhabited by the Drokpa people. Walk to meet the inhabitants, to discuss their daily lifestyle and better understand the adaptations necessary to the seasons of Drokpa tribe. They are a small community of people whose features are pure Indo-Aryan, and they have preserved their racial purity down the centuries. Aryan people are Buddhist, but they are culturally and racially different from the rest of the inhabitants of Ladakh. O/N hotel
Morning after breakfast we drive towards Lamayouru, we take the same route till Khaltse and then leave the Indus river and enter the mesmerizing moon landscapes , continue toward the Lamayouru monastery renowned as Tharpa Ling which means the ‘place of freedom’; Lamayuru monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. Arahat Nimagon blessed the site and Naropa founded the monastery in the 11th century. O/N hotel
After the Breakfast drive to Leh, visit Rizong, according to popular belief, Guru Padmasambhava along with other lamas used to meditate in the caves around Rizong in isolation, surviving on two times meal a day and avoiding any contact with the outside world. Before building the monastery in 1831, Lama Tsultim Nima started a hermitage at the site to teach monks about Buddhism, visit a nunnery, known as Chulichan (Chomoling), is under the cover of the monastery, where 20 nuns or the Chomos reside and worship at the temples of the monastery, perform chores like milking, spinning wool and getting oil for the temple lamps. O/N hotel
Free time for personal activities. O/N hotel
Early morning transfer to Leh airport to board flight back to destination. tour ends with sweets memories.
For the more adventurous a drive to either Manali or Srinagar can also be arranged on request. The road journey is covered in two or more days with an overnight halt at either Serchu or Jispa, which lies on the Leh-Manali highway, or Kargil, which lies on the Leh-Srinagar highway.
Pay heed to the guidelines given by trek leader or instructor in order to enjoy a safe and sound tour experience. Single rooms and tents can be requested for a supplement (subject to availability). Please enquire at the time of booking.
Ladakh is very safe, tourist friendly and cheering place, but still you need to take care of some preparations which can make your tour even better and memorable: Carry headache, stomachache, anti-vomiting tablets with you. Please respect the culture of Ladakh. We are Providing world class services in the secluded place, which is similar to an oasis, is very difficult and challenging. Still we try our best to bring cheer on your faces.
Code of Ethics for tourists visiting Ladakh
Drinking Water
Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at least 3-4 litres per person per day.
We strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in Ladakh. In Leh there is a shop called Dzomsa which sells safe drinking water. Ask anyone they will show you where this is on your first day in Leh.
We also suggest that you may like to bring a reusable bottle with a wide opening (Nalgene or similar)
Weather
The above weather chart for Leh shows average temperatures only – it does not reflect extremes of heat and cold. Generally the weather is good in Ladakh during the summer time, with warm to very hot sunny days (up to 30ºC/35ºC+) with cooler nights depending on the altitude (it can reach freezing point at some places in September). There is, however, the possibility of rain, and you should be prepared for this. The sun is very strong at these altitudes and some of the days on trek can be extremely hot.
Ladakh, though technically part of the Tibetan plateau and classified as a high altitude desert, can and does occasionally experience the effects of the Indian monsoon. Although the departures are timed to coincide when the weather is normally good, you should remember that in any mountain area the weather is never wholly predictable and you should be prepared and equipped to deal with any differences in weather beyond the conditions described above.
What to bring
Hiking trousers and shirts, warm jackets, pullovers and raincoat Good hiking shoes Flash light Sun hat/baseball cap Sunglasses, Lip balm Sun lotion cream and toiletries