ZANSKAR THE LAND OF NATURE
Zanskar is a veritable Shangrila. Surrounded by extremely high
mountains on all sides, it could only be accessed through dangerous and high
passes with an access window of a few months only, during summer. The passes
that ring Zanskar seem to echo out of history..... Umasi la, the Poat la, the
Kang la from the Miyar Nala near Udaipur, the Shingola and further to the east
the Phirtse la from the Sarchu plains. One of the most popular routes in, is
over the Shingola pass. At 17,200 feet on the crest of the actual Great Himalaya
range, the Shingo like the other high passes can only be crossed in late summer.
The only motor road into Zanskar is across the Pensi la from the Suru valley.
The Pensi on wards the comparative lushness of the Suru gives way to Zanskar's
bleak landscape which bye the way is also deceptive. Zanskar is home to myriads
of high altitude flower species, all the more striking in the general barrenness
of the terrain. This is a comparatively rare species -Aconitum Violacium.
Aconite is the common name for perennial herbs of the genus Aconitum and for a
preparation derived from them that was formerly used in medicine. The genus,
with more than 100 species, belongs to the Buttercup family and is native to
temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.
Aconites contain highly active alkaloids, especially aconitine, and are, inspite
of their beauty, poisonous to both humans and animals.
Zanskar. Sandwiched between the Indus Valley and the main crest of the Indian
Himalaya, this is a vast area what at over 3000 square miles, is larger then the
Indian state of Sikkim. In its remote and inaccessible setting, well guarded by
snowy mountain passes, zanskar has kept alive an archaic form of Tibetan
Buddhism whichflourishes in a chain of far- flung monasteries, most of which
occupy spectacular fortified locations, high on rocky ridges in isolated
valleys. These isolated valleys are linked across high passes by a number of
long established pathways, which also give access to the many picturesque
villages of the hardy and cheerful Zanskari people. 
Trans Zanskar Expedition in its scope and overwhelming in its sheer grandeur.
Starting at Lamayuru gompa, the most ancient monastic site in all of Ladakh, we
cross 4 high passes to reach Zanskar's capitol of Padum. From Padum, we continue
ever deeper into the wonders of Zanskar, including a diversion to the famous
Phugtal gompa. Our departure from Zanskar is over 17,000 foot Phirtse La to the
vast plain of Sarchu.
Towards the western end of the Himalayas a series of continuous mountain ridges,
comprising scores of 6000 metre (20000 foot) peaks, forms an effective barrier
between the Indian provinces of Lahaul and Ladakh. Linking these contrasting
mountainous regions is a trekking route that provides one of the great
challenges of the Indian Himalaya. Transferring by train and car from Delhi, we
pass through the lush Kulu Valley and cross the Rohtang Pass to reach the start
of our trek at Darcha. From here, we head north across the Shingo La
(c.5100m./16000ft.) into the ancient kingdom of Zanskar, famous for its hardy
inhabitants and starkly beautiful landscape. En route, we encounter a succession
of isolated villages and several wonderful Buddhist monasteries, notably at
Phuktal, Lingshet and Lamayuru. As a finale to what is unquestionably one of the
world’s classic trekking experiences, there is also time to explore the
fascinating Ladakhi capital of Leh
Zanskar, geologically, is a function of two river valleys which join to meet a
third. The Doda stream from the Pensi la meets up with the Lugnak near Padam to
form the Zanskar river. The Doda valley due to it's glacial origins is a fairly
wide valley while the Lugnok for most of it's course is a tremendous gorge
As it's name translates, Zanskar, or Copper Star, was, in centuries past, known
throughout Ladakh and Western Tibet for it's whitish copper. This copper comes
down through Zanskar's many streams and rivulets and is extracted from the
sediments, near the villages of Zangla and Testa. This copper is used primarily
for making vessels for religous and domestic purposes.
Zanskar covers an area of some 7,000 square kilometres (2,700 square miles), at a height of between 3,500 and
7,000 metres
(11,500–23,000 feet). It consists of the country lying along the two main
branches of the Zanskar river. The first, the Doda, has its source near the Pensi-la (4,400 m)
(14,450 ft) mountain-pass, and then flows south-eastwards along the main valley
leading towards Padum, the capital of Zanskar. The second branch is formed by
two main tributaries known as Kargyag river, with its source near the Shingo
La (5,091 m) (16,703 ft), and
Tsarap river, with its source near the Baralacha-La. These two rivers unite
below the village of Purne to form the Lungnak river (also known as the Lingti
or Tsarap). The Lungnak river then flows north-westwards along a narrow gorge
towards Zanskar's central valley (known locally as gzhung khor), where it unites
with the Doda river to form the Zanskar river.
The Zanskar river then takes a north-eastern course until it joins the Indus in Ladakh. High mountain ridges lie on both sides of the Doda and Lingti–kargyag valleys, which run north-west to south-east. To the south-west is the Great Himalayan Range which separates Zanskar from the Kisthwar and Chamba basins. To the north-east lies the Zanskar Range, which separates Zanskar from Ladakh. The only outlet for the whole Zanskar hydrographic system is thus the Zanskar river, which cuts a deep and narrow gorge through the Zanskar range.
These topographical features explain why access to Zanskar is difficult from all sides. Communication with the neighbouring Himalayan areas is maintained across mountain passes or along the Zanskar river when frozen. The easiest approach leads from Kargil through the Suru valley and over the Pensi La. It is along this track that in 1979 the first and only road in Zanskar was built to connect Padum with the main road from Srinagar into Ladakh. One of the first Tibetologists to spend an extended period in the region was Alexander Csoma de Koros, who spent over a year living in the region in 1823. After being integrated into the newly formed state of India in 1947, Zanskar and the neighboring region of Ladakh were both declared restricted areas and only opened to foreigners only in 1974. The first colour film of life in Zanskar was shot in 1958 by an expedition of three British housewives.
The mainstay of life in Zanskar is the intense religiosity of the people and
their relationship to the monastery. There are 9 major Gompas or monasteries in
Zanskar and dozens of smaller village ones. Every Buddhist family is affiliated
to some monastery situated near the village. Usually, according to the lamaistic
tradition, the youngest son from every family is sent to the monastery as a
novice lama.
The ties between the village and the monastery are bound not only by family
linkages, but socio-economic ties as well. No function, ceremony or celebration
is possible without the religous services of the lamas and even decisions like
sowing seeds, harvesting etc, are determined by the lamas, sometimes after
consulting the appropriate oracle.
It is in the great Gompas of Zanskar, that the cultural traditions of the people
are made manifest, and are preserved . Karsha is the largest Gelugpa monastery
in Zanskar, it's foundation attributed to the great translator Rinchen Zangpo.
The Gelugpa are the orthodox sect of Tibetan Buddhism owing allegiance to the
Dalai Lama.
Some of the best specimens of mural art in all of Zanskar, are found at Karsha.
Housed in a large structure called Labrang, access to which is through the roof,
they represent five different Buddha manifestations.
This mural depicts the four headed Vairocana 
The institutional structure of Tibetan feudalism was carried over to Zanskar and
thus the monasteries are substantive landholders. In Zanskar, where arable land
is strictly limited, it has made for another powerful link with the villagers,
for most of these lands are cultivated by them on behalf of the Lamas. The
monastery recieves grain and butter in return.
Butter, for the Trans-Himalayan peoples, has meanings not understandable easily
by others. Butter is energy source, as well as light source, for it fuels the
countless little lamps, found in all houses, and bigger ones in the monasteries.
In the high, cold altitudes that these people inhabit, butter is their most
important source of dietary fat. Drunk in tea, a misnomer, for it is more like a
soup, with butter and salt, umpteen times a day. Butter is also applied as a
salve on wounds, and of course counts as the ultimate
gift. The most valued butter is made from Yak milk, which has a
very high fat content.
The Zanskar economy still operates within the framework of a barter economy,
dairy products like butter being amongst their most valuable trade products.
In winter , the Zanskar river is Zanskar's only access route, when the ice
freezes thick on the river, it becomes a highway known as the Chador road,
straight to Saspul in the Indus valley.