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LADAKH
Ladakh or the ‘Land of High Passes’as its name means, is a barren yet beautiful region located in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.It is also called the world's last Shangri-La. Ladakh is a tranquil and serene place with beautiful lush green landscapes.

LADAKH AS A LANDSCAPE
It shares its east border with Tibet, and the Kashmir valley to the west. It has snow-capped peaks, the clear blue skies and the vistas of barren mountains broken only by blue meandering rivers. Tourism is the main source of livelihood for Ladakhis. The scenic beauty, the rugged terrain, the majestic mountains and the challenge of roughing it out, has made Ladakh a favourite with mountaineering enthusiasts. In some places it looks like snowfields, with ragged prayer flags hanging between great boulders. It is considered to be one of the most surreal landscapes of India.

CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY
Ladakh is country's coldest, highest and the driest zone. Ladakh has a cool and generally dry mountain climate. Ladakh- the land of high motorable passes, is located at an altitude of 15,000 feet above the sea level. It is a huge flat plain extended towards snowcaps on every side and bisected by dry riverbeds.

FLORA AND FAUNA
Wild asses or Kiang, two humped Bactrian camels forged in the dunes are commonly found in the snowy valleys.Apricot trees and willows also stand amidst the silent land.

CULTURE
The culture of Ladakh is highly influenced by the Tibetian culture. It is one of the main centres of Himalayan Buddhism. Tantric Buddhism was brought to Tibet by Padmasambhava, the eighth-century Indian reformer.One of the great events of the Ladakhi calendar is Tse-Chu festival. During this festival whole settlement is set up around the temple with the sharp-checked men and girls seLling necklaces and statues of the Buddha, mystical scrolls and even CDs. The masked lamas, raise their feet up and down,in a slow, colorful set of meditative movements and dances representing scenes from the life of Padmasambhava.Many of the festivals, were traditionally held in winter when the locals don't have to work in the fields.But now,they have been shifted to summer to attract foreign audience.

PEOPLE AND THEIR LIFESTYLE
The population of Ladakh is evenly divided between Muslims and Buddhists. It takes in the Muslim region of kargil,so almost half the population is Islamic. For centuries, Ladakh has been one of the most cosmopolitan trading post,through which traders transported silk, indigo, gold and opium to Kashmir, Kashgar, Yarkhand and other stops on the Silk route.People here live in white washed house amid the fields of barley and wheat irrigated by glacial snow melt. One can find people from Lhasa(Tibet),Herat(Afghanisthan),Samarkand(Uzbekisthan).One can also find skull-capped Muslim elders and Indo-Iranians. An ecology centre ,a women's alliance and a number of other organizations have been set up,to try to protect the what is unique in Ladakh. Most of the travellers who visit Ladakh also play an important role in protecting its culture and heritage.