Padum in Zanskar

In this post ‘Footlooseinme’ will travel from Kargil to  Padum in Zanskar Valley. The road trip from Kargil to Padum in Zanskar was fascinating with a blend of scenic landscapes that pleased our eyes and got etched onto our souls. Padum in Zanskar Valley, was our final destination for the day. “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”- Waldo. This has always been the philosophy of my travel. The road from Kargil to Padum in Zanskar again reinstated it. So let’s go to Padum and en route explore the ethereal beauty of the Zanskar Valley.

Padum is the administrative headquarters of the Zanskar Valley. It is named after Guru Padmasambhava. A majority of the people here are of Tibetan Buddhist descent. A lot of Buddhist monasteries are the primary attraction here. Padum was also the capital of the Zanskar region in ancient times. The Zanskar River flows through the Padum, originating in the Drang Drung glacier. 

We started early from Kargil with great expectation to visit the Zanskar valley that we missed during our previous visit to Ladakh. (Read about my last visit to Ladakh.) Soon we reached Sankoo, the main town of Suru Valley. The short summer months give a tiny window to farm here. Fields of Barley and Wheat on either side of the roads were ready for harvesting. They said the same story – “Make hay while the Sun shines” The main attraction of Sankoo is a 7 mt long rock-carved statue of Maitreya Buddha on the hill of Kartse Khar.

The Suru River winds through the valley adding charm to the green scenery surrounded by hills. As we moved towards Panikhar we caught a glimpse of the Nun and Kun peaks near Purkitche. Nun is the highest peak in Jammu and Kashmir while Kun lies in Ladakh. Nun (23,409 ft) Kun (23,219 ft) mountain massif has a third peak known as the Pinnacle Peak (22,740 ft). 

We reached Panikhar (10,830 ft) and there was the Shafat Glacier on the right side of the road. Shafat Glacier forms the base for climbing the Nun Kun massif. Shafat Nala carries the glacier melt from Shafat Glacier to the Suru River. Global warming is having a massive impact on this glacier as the snow here is melting at a rapid rate. With the high summer temperatures this year, the glacier was not in an impressive condition.

We reached Parkachik. We were gradually gaining altitude. We left the lower Suru Valley behind and started our ascend to the upper Suru Valley. The landscape changed from green valleys to mountainous deserts. This high-altitude desert had a different charm and enticed me with its vastness. Watching the landscape in awe and admiration, we reached Rangdum (11,998 ft) a peaceful little village.

We had our lunch at the La Himalaya Guest House. As the name suggests this also offers decent accommodation facilities. The tiny settlement of Rangdum looked like a beautiful picture painted on a canvas of barren mountains. The tall grasses on the field were gently waving with the wind that was whistling through the valley. Far ahead there was a purple-pink patch on the slope of the hill. I mistook it to be some wildflowers on the grass but later I realised that it was the grass of that unique colour. It resembled a mountain with a painted foothill.

Leaving behind the Rangdum village we move ahead on the silky metalled road winding through the vast. The Rangdum Monastery on a hillock within the tiny settlement of Judilok is visible from the road. Rangdum sees a very harsh long winter and a very short summer. At times the brief summer months interfere with the ripening of the crops. I heard a lot about the beauty of the green Suru Valley. To me, Rangdum had a different appeal. The pleasant summer scene that we witnessed will stay with me in a treasured corner of my heart as a cherished memory.

Smoothly moving through these roads we crossed the Pensi La pass with the two lakes – Ta Tso and Lang Tso. Then there was the famous Drang Drung Glacier viewpoint. The Drang Drung Glacier is the second largest glacier in Ladakh after the Siachen Glacier. The highest point of this glacier is the Doda peak. The Stod River, a tributary of the Zanskar River originates from this glacier.

After crossing this point we were on the final leg of our journey to Padum in Zanskar. A few tiny settlements passed by and we reached Sani. Sani is a small village with the famous Sani Gompa. This monastery is believed to be the oldest Buddhist institution in Ladakh. There is a small Chorten within the monastery which was built during the Kushan emperor Kanishka. Guru Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche stayed here for 12 years and is believed to drive away daemons from Zanskar. Important relics of Budhha Sakyamuni are preserved in this monastery. 

We reached the headquarters of Zanskar – the small town of Padum. We moved through the busy settlement and climbed a small hillock with a commanding view of the Valley. Our stay was in tented accommodation with each tent having its own private toilet. The property was about a year old and was located four kilometres away from the main town. The seclusion and the stunning view from the balcony were the best part of our stay apart from the neat and well-maintained tents.

Padum in Zanskar is at an altitude of 12,037 ft above MSL. We were literally feeling it while performing any physical activity (climbing up the slope to reach the restaurant of the property or bending down to pick up something.) We were out of breath with every little movement. My condition was better than my husband’s. Even with a regular dose of Diamox tablets, he was not feeling very well. Things would have been better for proper acclimatisation if we had one more day to spend in Padum in Zanskar.

The beautiful view and the tranquillity lessened our physical troubles. The wind was howling around and the clouds were playing hide and seek. The Zanskar River snaked through the vast open valley, a large golden Buddha silently watched over as the men worked on their fields harvesting the grass and the crops while the surrounding barren mountains guarded the valley. The beauty and altitude of Padum in Zanskar took our breath away.

With the dusk came the dark clouds shrouding the clear sky completely. My hope to capture the night sky vanished along with it. I kept waiting for the clouds to retreat and give way to the clear star-filled sky. But all my hopes went in vain. The clouds remained and with passing time covered the sky completely leaving no patches for the stars to peep through. Disheartened I went inside our cosy tent and silently sneaked under the blanket allowing the winds to sing me the lullaby to fall asleep.

The morning Sun painted the valley in its golden hues. I could not stop but wonder in awe at the beauty of the scene. I watched and watched the view sitting on the balcony of our tent and my mind went into the meditative state. My husband was still not feeling well but decided to continue with the planned trip. 

We visited the Stongdey Gompa travelling through the vast open valley of Padum in Zanskar. Stongdey Monastery is located on a hillock overlooking the village of Stongdey. This ancient monastery was built in 1052 AD by Lama Marpa Choski Lotey and was named Marpaling. After 4 centuries, Shakya Zangpo took over and introduced the order of Tsongkhapa and changed the name of the monastery to Stongdey Lekshedling. 

We returned back to Padum in Zanskar to visit the Karsha Gompa. On reaching the foothills of the Karsha Gompa we saw another large gold-coloured statue of Buddha on a raised platform overlooking the valley. We could see a huge gathering of devotees in traditional attire seated in rows listening to the chants. Chanting and throat singing of religious hymns was reverberating in the valley. 

The valley view, dotted with patches of yellow-green farm and the sound of the throat singing had a magical effect on us. We did not continue our journey towards the Karsha Gompa and turned back to reach the gathering site. We followed the visual cue for the direction towards the site. After reaching a certain point we were lost. In the quest of looking for the way, we were entering some private property when a local lady asked our destination and advised us to follow the traditionally dressed pilgrims.

Following the devotees, we walked through the barley field to reach a raised tabletop hill where the ceremony was organised. A large seated statue of golden Buddha was the centre of the festivity. All the devotees were seated around the round cemented platform in organised rows. Food and beverage were also being served as the chanting continued in large speakers. We felt blessed to be a part of this unknown celebration. Travel is so enlightening, that it easily diminishes your inhibitions and allows you to merge with the surroundings. Delighted to be here we left Padum in Zanskar towards Purney. Watch this space to know what happened in Purney.

Read my previous post on Kargil.

Read my previous post on Srinagar.

Read my introductory post on the Ladakh series.

A Complete Guide to Tour Ladakh

Ladakh Part I – Within Leh

Ladakh Part 2 – Julley Lamayuru

Ladakh Part 3 – Hemis Circuit

Ladakh Part 4 – To Nubra Valley, via Khardung La

Ladakh Part 5 – To the Lush and Cropwise Rich Village of Turtuk

Ladakh Part 6 – The Hyper-popular Pangong Tso

Ladakh Part 7 – The Cloudy Story of the Starry Night at Hanle

Ladakh Part 8 – Tso Moriri

Ladakh Part 9 – Back to Leh via Tso Kar