|
Day
1: Arrive Delhi
Day
2: Delhi to Manali
Drive the taxi to Manali, by passing
through the an important junction on the salt route to Tibet,
Mandi is the gateway to the Kullu valley. Moving through the
Mandi, tourists will see the impressive Pandoh Dam diverts
water from the Beas River two 12 tunnels to Baggi. The
beautiful view of the mountains can be enjoyed moving through
the Sainj valley. On the way to Manali, there are interesting
things to see long both sides of the 42 kms valley. Like,
Vaishno Devi Temple-a small cave with the Vaishno Devi Temple.
And other interesting places to discover is Katrain, Patlikuhl,
Nagar and Roerich Gallery.
Day
3: Manali to Keylong
Drive the
taxi toward Leh, after the local sight seeing of Manali: At
the northern end of the Kullu Valley, is the main resort in
the area. Its beautifully situated and there are many pleasant
walks around the town, as well as a large numbers hotels and
restaurants. Attraction of Local sight seeing.
Hadimba Temple:
The temple of the goddess Hadimba, who plays such a major part
in Kullu's annual festival, is a sombre wooden structure in a
clearing in the dense forest.
Old
Manali Village: The current town of Manali is actually a new
creation that has superseded the old village, a couple of kms
from away. Follow the road across the cascading Manalsu
stream, from where you can climb up to this interesting little
village, which is becoming a popular place. Tibetan Monastery: The colourful,
pleasant new Tibetan Monastery has carpet-making operation.
Vashisht
: Vashisht is picturesque little place, clinging to the steep
hillside about three kms out of Manali. On foot the distance
is a bit shorter since you can follows paths up the hillside,
where cars have to wind up the road. The journey will begin
toward Leh in the afternoon, Rohtang Pass 3978 metres not
high, but treacherous all the same-starts the ascent to Leh.
Keylong is the first town of any size on the journey to Leh.
Day
4: Keylong to Hemis
The tough
journey will begin toward Leh, Darcha is the major tent site
on this road. While next move is the Baralachala, which is
4883 metres means crossroads pass. Just after this pass
tourist are entered to the another tent site called Sarchu.
The journey becomes more adventurous and interesting while
passing the Lachlung La, 5060 metres, is the second highest
pass on the Manali-Leh road. The next destination is the Pang,
just the tourists are moving through the Taglang La, the
second highest motorable road of the world, 5328 metres. On
the descent tourists are entering in to the Ladakh region and
the first village is the Upshi and one can enjoy the beautiful
landscape and magnificent valley views.
Day
5: Hemis to Pangong Lake/ Tso Moriri Lake
In the
morning visit the Hemis monastery. The travellers have the
option to visit either of the Lakes. Hemis Monastery : This is
biggest and the most important monastery in Ladakh. It is
situated 49 kms to south of Leh, a little off the main
Leh-Manali road. It was built in the 17th century by Chapgon
Gyalshas and ever since has enjoyed the patronage of the royal
family. Hemis is the headquater of the Drukpa order and all
the monasteries throughout Ladakh are administered by it. It
also trains Lamas for the royal monasteries at Leh, Shey and
Bazgo. In the 19th century it faced a siege by general Zorawar
Singh. The Gompa was saved to the skillful handing of the
situation by the head Lama. In 1956 the head Lama Hemis Gompa
disappeared mysteriously never to be seen again. A 12 years
old boy was brought from Dalhousie. In 1976 to be appointed as
head Lama. He will assume authority after his training period
is complete. The monastery contains quite a few gold statue
and stupas decorated with precious stones. It has a superb
collection of tankhas, including one which is supposed to be
the largest in existence and is exhibited only once every 11
years. The monastery has annual festival which falls in June/
July and is a big tourist attraction. Masked dances are held
on that day. In the afternoon the caravan will move towards
the Pangong Lake/ Tso Moriri Lake.
Tso
Moriri lake
is
situated in the middle of the elevated district of Rupso. It
name is characteristic of its situation. Nestle in the midst
of 20,000 feet, peals which completely shut the lake. A
kilometres ahead is a picturesque village of Korzok consisting
of about a hundred families. Visiting the monastery on the top
of the village, belonging to the yellow sect and has about 35
resident monks. The night camp along the side of Lake.
Pangong
Lake
The main
attraction Changla region is the Pangong Lake situated at
14,500 feet (4,297 m) a long narrow basin of inland drainage,
hardly six to seven kilometres at its widest point and over
130 kms long, it is bisected by international border between
Indian and China. The farthest point to which foreigners are
permitted, is only some seven kilometres along the southern
shore from the head of the lake. Another attraction of this
lake is sight os eastern cranes and other migratory black
necked cranes birds. Drive back toward Leh and camp overnight
at Tangtse village.
Day
6: Pangong Lake/ Tso Moriri Lake to Leh,
on the way back sight seeing of Thiksey and Shey palace
Thiksey
Gompa:
En route
to Hemis Gompa, the Thiksey monastery is a most imposing
structure providing a panoramic view of the green Indus valley
from its vantage atop a hill. It has chambers full of statues,
stupas and tannkhas.
Shey
Palace and Monastery:
Also on
the way to Hemis Gompa and 15 kms from Leh is the summer
palace of the erstwhile, Raja of Leh, set upon a hill sitting
Buddha wrought with copper and gold that leaves one lama
before hand. Many chortens can be seen to the east of the
monastery. After the Shey tourists reach to Leh, Main Centre
of Ladakh. With the inhabitants of 50,000, Leh is located in
small valley just the north of Indus valley.
Day
7: Rest Complete rest in the hotel in Leh
Day 8: Local
Sight seeing
Leh Bazaar, Leh Palace and Sankar gompa. The women's vegetable
market in the afternoon and some interesting place to visit.
And the evening the Sankar monastery.
Leh
Gompa: It is situated above the Leh
Palace and was built in 1430. It contains a 13.7 metres high
statue of the Buddha which the Ladakhi call Chamba. According
to the Lamas this splendid statue is the future Buddha. A
butter burns day and night in front
Day
9: Leh to Khardung-la top
The tourists
will visit the Khardung-la. It Takes you to the highest
motorable road of in the world Khardongla (18,380 feet or
5,578 m). Nubra Valley lies in the north of Leh. Apart from
unparalleled trekking opportunities, the valley has several
Buddhists monasteries such as Sumor, Tigar and 350 years old
Diskit monastery.
Day
10: Shopping and Cultural programme
The whole
day is dedicated to the shopping and to discover some
interesting things about Ladakhi art and cultural by the
visiting the Tibetan refugees camp Choklamsar, Library and
Ecological Development etc.
Day
11: Local Sight Seeing
Leh to
Lamayuru, Likir and Alchi and night halt at Lamayuru. Whole
day is dedicated for the local sight seeing.
Lamayuru:
After
exploring villages around the area, it comes as a surprise to
find that Lamayuru is a scruffy little place. The gompa, is
the completely overshadowed and most famous spectacular
monastery in Ladakh.
Alchi
and Likir Monasteries:
These two
monasteries are located near Saspol on the Srinagar-Leh road.
They house many gigantic clay statue of Buddha in various
forms. The primary attraction of these monasteries is ,
however, their 1000-year old wall painting which make a visit
more than worthwhile.
Day
12 : Lamayuru to Kargil,
The
caravan move toward the Kargil and the Way Passing through
Following Place
Mulbekh: There
are two gompas on the hillside above the village of Mulbekh.
As in other villages, it is wise to Enquire if the gompa is
before making the ascent. Just beyond Mulbekh is a huge Chamba
statue, an image of a future Buddha, cutting to the rock face
beside the road. It's one of the most interesting stops along
the road to kargil.
Shergol: Between
Kargil and Shergol you cross the dividing line between the
Muslim and Buddhist areas. The small village of Shergol has a
tiny gompa perched halfway up the eastern slope of the
mountain. In the afternoon tourists will reach to Kargil.
Kargil:
The valleys of Suru, Drass Wakha and Bodkarbo
lie midway between the alpine valleys of Kashmir, and the
fertile reaches of the Indus valley and Ladakh. The region is
politically part of India, ethnically part of Baltistan and
geographically and integral part of Ladakh. Geographically,
there is little doubt that one has crossed the Himalayan
watershed. The steep barren hills now stretch to the snow
line. As the snows melt, the waters flow freely down into the
heavily irrigated valleys. Here Tibetan-style settlements
thrive. Whitewashed mud and stone houses contrast with
deep-green barley fields.
Day
13: Kargil to Srinagar
Drive the
taxi toward Srinagar, by passing the Zoji-la and picturesque
Sonamarg, entering to the Kashmir valley.
Drass: Drass
3230 metres, 60kms west of Kargil on the road to Srinagar, are
a small township lying in the centre of a valley of the same
name. It has become famous as the second coldest inhabited
place in the world by virtue of the intense cold that descends
upon the valley along with repeated snowfall during winter.
Winter temperature is sometimes known to plummet to less than
40 degree Celsius. During the spring and summer, however the
valley around the township becomes very picturesque as the
gently undulating hillsides turn into lush green pastures
splashed with a variety of fragrant wild flowers. Its
inhabitants are mainly of Darad stock, an Aryan race believed
to have originally migrated to the high valleys of the Western
Himalayas from the Central Asian steppes. They speak Shina
which, unlike the Tibetan-originated Ladakhi dialects spoken
elsewhere in Ladakh region, belong to the Indo-European
linguistic family. Their ancestral sport, Horse Polo, which
the Darads play with particular zeal, resembles our modern
polo. The Drass vallley starts from the base of the Zojila
pass, the Himalayan gateway to Ladakh. For centuries its
inhabitants are known to have negotiated this formidable pass
even during the most risky period in the autumn or early
spring, when the whole sector remains snowbound and is subject
to frequent snow storms, to transport trader's merchandise
across and the to help stranded travelers to traverse it. By
virtue of their mastery over the pass they had established a
monopoly over the carrying trade during the heydays of the
Pan-Asian. A hardy people enduring with fortitude the
harshness of the valley's winter, the inhabitants of Drass can
well be described as the guardians of Ladakh's gateway.
Day
14 : Srinagar, Local sight seeing
Dal
Lake: Much of Dal Lake is maze of
intricate waterways rather than a simple body of open water.
The lake is divided into Gagribal, Lokut Dal and Bod Dal by a
series of causeways. Dal Gate, at the city end of the lake,
controls the flow of the lake water into the Jhelum River
canal.
Hazratbal
Mosque: This shiny, modern mosque is
on the north west shore of Dal Lake. The mosque enshrines hair
of the prophet, but to nonbelievers it is most interesting for
its stunningly beautiful setting on the shores of the lake
with snow capped peaks as backdrop.
Shalimar
Bagh:
Set some
distance back from the lake but reached by a small canal, the
Shalimar gardens were built for Nur Jahan, light of the world,
by her husband Jehangir in1616. During the Mughal period the
topmost of the four terraces was reserved for the emperor and
the ladies of the court.
Day
15 : Srinagar to Jammu
On the Srinagar
to Jammu route are the hill resorts of Batote, Panitop and Kud,
before Jammu region tourists will move through about 3 km long
tunnel Jawarhar Tunnel. On the way tourists can visit the
famous shrine of Vaishno Devi and night halt at Jammu city.
Day
16 : Jammu to Delhi
Final day
of the discovery trip and the farewell will be given at Karnal.
What tourists have discovered? o Tanglang-la 17,469 ft. o
Pangong Lake ( 14, 469 ft) o Chang-la (17,350 ft) o Famous
monasteries of Ladakh o Traditional culture and life-style of
Ladakh on 11,000 ft o Khardung-la, highest motorable road of
world 18,380 ft o Drass, second coldest place of world o Zoji-la
o Srinagar o vaishno Devi Amenities Taxi Hotel Food Travel
Corporation of Ladakh will make other important arrangements.
Day
17 : Depart Home
|