Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of
the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the
Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar
range. Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2750m)
at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram.
KARGIL (2704 m), 204 kms from Srinagar in the west and 234 kms from Leh in the
east, is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh and headquarters of the district
of same name. A quite town now, Kargil once served as important trade and transit
centre in the Pan-Asian trade network.
Numerous caravans carrying exotic merchandise comprising silk, brocade, carpets,
felts, tea, poppy, ivory etc. transited in the town on their way to and from
China, Tibet, Yarkand and Kashmir. The old bazaar displayed a variety of Central
Asian and Tibetan commodities even after the cessation of the Central Asian
trade in 1949 till these were exhausted about two decades back.
Similarly the ancient trade route passing through the township was lined with
several caravanserais. Now, since 1975, travellers of numerous nationalities
have replaced traders of the past and Kargil has regained its importance as
a centre of travel-related activities.
Being located in the centre of the Himalayan region with tremendous potentials
for adventure activities, Kargil serves as an important base for adventure tours
in the heart of Himalayas. It is also the take off station for visitors to the
erotic Zanskar Valley.
Tourists travelling between Srinagar and Leh have to make a night halt here
before starting the second leg of their journey. The town lies nestling along
the rising hillside of the lower Suru basin. Two tributaries of the Suru River
that meet here are the Drass and Wakha.
The land available along the narrow valley as also the rising hillsides are
intensively cultivated in neat terraces to glow barley, wheat, peas, a variety
of vegetables and other cereals. Kargil is famous for the fine apricots grown
here. In May the entire countryside becomes awash with fragrant white apricot
blossoms while August, the ripening fruit lends it an orange hue.
Kargil, Ladakh Places of Interest
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