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= Ladakh = Ladakh is an ancient kingdom in north-west India, bordering Pakistan and the Tibet Autonomous Region. Ladakh has two administrative Districts: Leh (majority Buddhist) and Kargil (predominantly Muslim).

The Leh Valley lies at an altitude of about 3,500 metres and the surrounding mountains rise to over 6,000 metres. The area is remote: the main road linking Ladakh with the rest of India is cut off by snow for six months or more each year. This is a high-altitude desert environment where water is precious. Agriculture and human settlements depend on water from snow melt, which flows towards the Indus River.

Traditionally, most Ladakhis were subsistence farmers growing mainly barley and vegetables, or they were nomads tending goats and yaks. The opening of a road in the 1960s linking Ladakh with the plains brought large numbers of army personnel and the spread of the Indian civil administration.

History of ladakh
The region of Ladakh once formed part of the erstwhile Kingdom of Ladakh and for nearly 900 years from the middle of the 10th century existed as an independent kingdom. After 1531, it was periodically attacked by the Muslims from Kashmir, until it was finally annexed to Kashmir in the mid 19th century. The early colonizers of Ladakh included: - the Indo-Aryan Mons from across the Himalayan range, the Darads from the extreme western Himalayas, and the itinerant nomads from the Tibetan highlands. While Mons are believed to have carried north-Indian Buddhism to these highland valleys, the Darads and Baltis of the lower Indus Valley are credited with the introduction of farming and the Tibetans with the tradition of herding. Its valleys, by virtue of their contiguity with Kashmir, Kishtwar and Kulu, served as the initial receptacles of successive ethnic and cultural waves emanating from across the Great HimIts political fortunes ebbed and flowed over the centuries, and the kingdom, was at its best in the early 17th century under the famous king Sengge Namgyal, whose rule extended across Spiti and western Tibet up to the Mayumla beyond the sacred sites of Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. During this period Ladakh became recognized as the best trade route between the Pubjab and Central Asia. The merchants and pilgrims who made up the majority of travellers during this period of time, travelled on foot or horseback, taking about 16 days to reach Srinagar; though a man in hurry, riding non-stop and with changes of horse arranged ahead of time all along the route, could do it in as little as three days. These merchants who dealt in textiles and spices, raw silk and carpets, dyestuffs and narcotics entrusted their goods to relays of pony transporters who took about two months to carry them from Amritsar to the Central Asian towns of Yarkand and Knotan. On this long route, Leh was the half-way house, and developed into a bustling entreport, it bazaars thronged with merchants from far countries. This was before the wheel as a means of transport was introduced into Ladakh, which happened only when the Srinagar- Leh motor-road was constructed as recently as the early 1960s

Religion & Culture of Ladakh
The inhabitants of Ladakh are distinct from other parts of India. The faces and physique of Ladakhis, and the clothes they wear are more akin to those of Tibet and central Asia. In eastern and central Ladakh, today’s population seems to be mostly of Tibetan origin. Further west, in and around Kargil, there is much in the people’s appearance that suggests a mixed origin. The Ladakhi people are a hospitable, smiling, hardy lot, friendly and open.

Buddhism reached Tibet from India via Ladakh, and there are ancient Buddhist rock engravings all over the region, even in areas like Drass and the lower Suru Valley which today are inhabited by an exclusively Muslim population.

Islam came from the west. A peaceful penetration, its success was guaranteed by the early conversion of the sub-rulers of Dras, Kargil and the Suru Valley.

Of the secular culture, the most important element is the rich oral literature of songs and poems for every occasion, as well as local versions of the Kesar Saga, the Tibetan national epic. This literature is common to both Muslims & Buddhists. Among the many social and cultural events of Ladakh, the annual festivals held in the Buddhist monasteries constitute the most important part of the regions living heritage. The architecture of Ladakh contains Tibetan and Indian influences, and reflects a deeply Buddhist approach. The Buddhist wheel, along with two dragons, is a common feature on every Gompa. The Chörten have four-sided walls in Ladakh, as opposed to round walls in parts of Tibet. Many of the houses and monasteries are built on elevated, sunny sites facing the south, and are often made out a mixture of rocks, wood, cement and earth.

Altitude sickness in ladakh
For trekkers and mountaineers, scientists have issued a mysterious warning. The worst place in the world for altitude sickness is Ladakh, the stark, beautiful region on India's northern border with China and Tibet – and nobody knows exactly why.

Ladakh, literally "the land of high passes", lies between the Himalayas and the Kunlun mountain range at a height of more than 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). It is a high-altitude desert which has become a popular destination for adventure travellers in the last decade, drawn by its remote culture and extraordinary panoramas.

Now the largest study of visitors to mountainous regions around the world who were previously assessed for their vulnerability to altitude sickness has found that Ladakh presented the biggest threat.

[ Tourism in ladakh]
There are many tourist attractions in  ladakh .Some of them are
 * Leh palace
 * Shanti stupa
 * Hall of fame
 * Stok palace museum
 * Shey palace

[ Leh Palace]
The old palace of the king of Ladakh overlooks the town from the south –west slope of the Tsemo. It has eight storeys and was built by King Singe Namgyal in the 16th century, at much the same time as the famed Potala of Lasa – which it resembles. The damage to the palace, one side is gaping open, stems from the Kashmiri invasions of the last century. Like the Shey Palace the Leh Palace still belongs to the Ladakhi royal family. Who now live in their palace in Stock.

Few of the palace wall painting are worth looking at since they have been scratched and smeared over the years. The small Khar Gonpa within the palace is also of little interest. In fact the main reason to make the short, steep climb up to the place is for the superb view from the roof, over which the coloured prayer flags wave in the wind, the lines of which begin on the blue-white-red-green-yellow Tarchok mast. In good weather the Zanskar range, snow covered until early summer, appears close enough to touch although it rises from the other side of the Indus.

[ Shanti Stupa]
Japanese Stupas made for world peace. Shanti Stupa is located at Changspa, on the hilltop, and was inaugurated by Dalai Lama in 1985. Its state of the art work attracts a lot of tourists to Ladakh and is spectacular to watch. The Shanti Stupa can be reached by car, or on foot via a steep flight of five hundred steps.

You will enjoy the panoramic view of the chain of mountains and the peaceful little village of Changspa with typical Ladakhi houses built along a gushing stream, and the towering Namgyal Tsemo in the distance.

The Shanti Stupa Society was established to build the Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda) in the Indraprastha Park in the heart of the City of Delhi. The purpose of the Shanti Stupa is to provide a “peace haven” for all and to develop programs that promote peace-building efforts all over the world with an emphasis on ahimsa, or nonviolence.

[ Hall of Fame]
Hall of Fame near Leh is worth a visit for every citizen. It is a glorious museum constructed by Indian army. You can see the memorabilia, eminent defence personalities with biographies, images and weapons used during Kargil war and belongings of enemy soldiers found at war site. Another section of this building is entirely dedicated to Siachen and its heroes.

On display are attires, multi layered shoes to keep their feet from frost bites, their daily instruments, their day to day food mainly frozen and packed, which is heated by lighting small balls of Hexamycin tablets, as fire is difficult to ignite at a temperature dipping -30 deg to -50 deg centigrade. It is mentioned on a board that 97% of the casualties in Siachen are due to cold and terrain.

[ Stok Palace Museum]
Around 14 Kms from Leh, across the Choglamsar bridge. The Stok Palace was built by King Tsespal Tondup Namgyal in 1825. The present Royal family resides at Stok Palace.The Stok Palace Museum has vast collection of thankas, traditional clothing and ornaments from Royal family. The Gurphug monastery is 1 Km from the Palace and this is the branch of Spituk monastery. The festival called "Guru Tsechu" take place on the 9th and 10th days of the first month of Tibetan Lunar Calendar.

[ Shey Palace]
Shey, 15 Km south of Leh, was constructed by the first king of Ladakh, Lhachen Palgyigon and of successive kings. Around 12 Ft. Shakyamuni Buddha's statue made by copper guilt is the largest in the region, built by Deldan Namgyal in 1633 is a funerary memorial to his father, king Singee Namgyal. There is another statue of the Buddha three stories in height at dresthang down the castle. Stone carving and many chortens are scattered around the Dresthang Gompa. On the 30th day of the 1st Tibetan month celebrates shey rul-lo and on the 10th day of the 7th Tibetan month the festival of Shey Surb-lo is held.

Festivals of ladakh
Festivals are a time of merry-making. Possibly, there is no better time to visit any destination than at the time of its festive season. Similar is the case with Ladakh region. The barren yet intriguing land of Ladakh comes to life during festivals when locals from all the parts of Ladakh come to one place and take part in the celebrations.

In fact, the festival season in Ladakh is the best way to view, enjoy and experience the culture of Ladakh. Festivals in Ladakh are organized on various occasions such as birth, marriage, commemoration of head Lamas who found the monasteries, harvesting, flowering and Losar or New Year.

The winter season plays host to more Ladakhi festivals in comparison to the summer season. Masked dance, folk songs by the monks in vibrant silk garments and feasting are some of the highlights of all the festivals. The venues of the festivals are the monasteries of the Ladakh and their courtyards become the open spaces where dance-dramas are organized. Spirituality and enjoyment are set afloat in the atmosphere.one of the main festival is

Hemis Festival
One of the most popular monastic festivals of Ladakh, Hemis festival is organized in the month of June for the commemoration of the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. The monks get dressed in vibrant brocade robes and wear colorful facial masks for performing a sacred dance drama of his life and its mission.

This 3-day festival is organized, from 9th to 11th June, particularly the monkey year festival that arrives in a cycle of 12 years. At the time of the festival, the 4-storeyed thangka of Guru Padma Sambhava is slung in the courtyard along with other precious thangkas are out on display.other than this there are some other fesivals celebrated in ladakh.
 * Thiksey, Karsha and Spituk Gustor
 * Dosmochey Festival

Faunal and floral diversity of ladakh
Ladakh region, comprising two districts namely, Leh and Kargil includes valley, mountains and glaciers. It is the westernmost extension of the vast Tibetan Plateau, covering  an altitude ranges from 2700 to 7650m and more than 85% of the area of Ladakh part lies above 5000m above mean sea level. Physiographycally, the entire region may be classified in five major valleys: Indus, Nubra, Changthang, Suru and Zanskar which lies along the major rivers such as Indus, Shyok, Nubra, Suru and Zangskar rivers.

FAUNAL DIVERSITY

On the account of its geographical location and in spite of low biological productivity and sparse vegetation cover, Ladakh host a surprisingly diverse fauna. Ladakh's fauna exhibits several interesting characteristics which have evolved as adaptations to the region's extreme climatic conditions such as seasonal migration and herbination, as well as, amongst mammals, thick fur, thick and bushy tails, large nostril.

I. MAMMALS:

The western and eastern Regions of Ladakh differ significantly in the distribution of mammals. While the eastern region of Ladakh is represented by mammals typical of the Tibetan Plateau, the western region is represented by the Himalayan and Central Asian Species. Ladakh, together with neighbouring areas of Tibet, is probably unique on a global scale for having preserved to this day the whole assemblage of its wild herbivores and predators alongside their domesticated relatives. Excluding the lesser rodents, insectivorous (mice, rats, shrews) and chiropterans (bats), 36 species of mammals occur in Ladakh. This includes 8 ungulates, 11 rodents, 2 hares, 5 mouse hares, 3 Felids, 3 Canids, 1 Ursid and 4 Mustelids

a) Ungulates:

Eight species of wild Ungulates are found in Ladakh, six of them are threatened globally. Tibetan Gazelle (Goa) is most under threat is on the verge of extinction. Another species severely under threat is the Great Tibetan Sheep (Nyan or Argali). The Asiatic Mouflon(Urial)is another threatened wild sheep.

Tibetan Wild Ass(Kiang), Siberian Ibex(Skin), Blue Sheep(Na), Great Tibetan Sheep(Nyan), Asiatic Mouflon-Urial (Sha), Tibetan Gazelle(Goa), Tibetan Antelope(Szos), Wild Yak(Dong) are the 8 ungulates.

b) Carnivores:

Snow Leopard (Shan,Tsabo), Lynx(Eyi), Pallas's Cat (Ribilik), Stoat(Lakimo) Pale or Mountain Weasel(Lakimo), Himalayan Weasel(Lakimo), Otter(Chusham), Stone Marten(Kogar), Himalayan Brown Bear(Drinmo), Tibetan Wolf(Chanku),Tibetan Wild Dog( Pharra)Red Fox(Watse)

c) Lagomorphs:

Wooly Hare (Ribong), Cape Hare (Ribong),Black-Lipped Pikka (Zabra), Ladakh Pika (Zabra), Long-eared Pika (Zabra), Nubra Pika(Zabra), Royle's Pikka(Zabra).

d) Rodents:

Himalayan Marmot (Phia), Long Tailed Marmot (Phia),Ladakh Hamster, Grey or Migratory Hamster, Royle's Vole(Zabra),  Stoliczka's Vole(Zabra), Silvery Mountain Vole(Zabra), Yello-necked Field Mouse( Sabilik), Turkistan Rat( Sabilik),House Rat( Sabilik), House Mouse( Sabilik)

'''II. AVI-FAUNAL (Birds)'''

As in the case for higher mammals, Ladakh's bird diversity is impressive. Till date, about 309 avifaunal species have been recorded in Ladakh, representing 34 avian families. However, only around 110 species among them are known to breed regularly in the high-altitude cold desert environment of Ladakh. The unique inhabited is an important breeding and feeding ground for birds during the short and dry summer months. It also serves an important staging ground for birds while they are crossing the mighty Himalayan range during the spring and winter migrations. Four main groups of birds have been identified in Ladakh:

a) Resident Birds: consists of species adapted to high altitudes, often opportunistic feeders consuming seeds, shoots, fruits and especially during summer months, also insects.

b) Summer visiting Birds: Arriving in huge numbers from the South Asian plains and the Tibetan plateau, these birds use the high-altitude steppes, wetlands, meadows and fields as breeding ground during April and May. As winter arrives, they return to the warmer wintering areas.

c) Wintering Birds: represents the smallest group of visitors reaching Ladakh in October from northern breeding grounds. Due to harsh climate they are mainly found around villages and along the valley bottoms, near Indus borders and sunny areas.

d) Migrant Birds: comprise the biggest and most diverse group of all four, passing through Ladakh in spring and autumn. These birds remain in the region for a brief period of time and allow only short observation opportunities.

Ladakh also holds the distinction of being the only known breeding ground of Black-necked Crane in India which is the state bird of J&K. It can be sighted in the wetlands of eastern Ladakh.Typical areas of encounter are Tsokar, Puga, Staklung, Hanle, Chushul and some other wetlands.

'''III. HERPETOFAUNA (Amphibians and Reptiles)'''

In the Trans-Himalaya, amphibians and reptiles are represented by fewer species. But their diversity is unique. The surveys in the region have documented 4 species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles so far.

a) 4 Amphibians:

European Green Toad (Spalba), Bufo Latastii (Scientific name(S), No English name (NEN), Spalba), Kamshmir Spade Foot Toas(Spalba) and Siachen Toad(Spalba).

b) 11 Reptiles:

Blyth's Toad Agama (Thangpelik), Toad Agama(Thangpelik), Himalayan Rock Laudakia( Galchik), Banded Gecko (Saldak),  C. Montium salsorum (S,NEN-Saldak), C.lawdernas (S,NEN-Saldak), Ladakh Skink(Gyalto), Himalayan Skink(Gyalto),Coluber rhodorachis(S,NEN-Rhul) Elaphe hodgsono(NEN,Rhul or Sbul)  and Common Rat Snake(Rhul or Sbul).

'''IV. FISH'''

Fish faunal biodiversity is an indicator which is widely used for assessing the quality of aquatic water system. The cold desert of Ladakh is a catchment of the Indus River which supplies water to several million people in India and Pakistan. 32 species of fish occur in the rivers, streams and lakes of Ladakh, of which, most of them are cold water fishes and adapted to live in the freezing environment. Indus River has more number of fishes than Zanskar and Shoyok rivers.

Kinnaur Snowtrout and Tibetan snowtrout are most common species in Ladakh. Most of the fishes which occur in the streams and rivers of Ladakh are playing a major role in controlling algae, insects and detritus materials in the water so that good quality of water is retained forever.

During summer the snow-trout are known to migrate up upstream for spawning. Fry and fingerlings grow in the clean water of the streams till winter and then they start to migrate to rivers as streams freeze in winter. Maintaining the water link between rivers and streams is crucial for the migration of the fishes of Ladakh.

V. INSECTS

The important insect orders of Ladakh regions are Butterflies, Moths, Flies and Bugs. Butterflies and Moths constitute a major group of insects of the region. So far 370 species of butterflies have been recorded from Ladakh.

FLORAL DIVERSITY

Though relatively poor in species compared to areas of similar altitude in the main Himalayas, Ladakh's flora has a considerable biological interest, depicting, with its diversity of origin and endemic species, a high adaptability to extreme climatic conditions and biotic pressure.
 * Ladakh is rich repository of medicinal and aromatic plants. It is estimated that the Ladakh region may harbour close to 1,100 species of vascular plants and ferns. As many as 23 species of flowering plants are endemic to Ladakh. The western and eastern region of Ladakh differs significantly in terms of floral assemblages. So ladakh is a beauty of india.