Dah Hanu — Why You Should Visit This Last Village of the Aryan Tribe!

Why Go to Dah Hanu ?

Dah & Hanu are two villages nestled in Dhahanu valley in North-East of Ladakh, about 160km from Leh town. If knowing a new culture, indigenous traditions and native tribes intrigue you, then Dah Hanu is your destination to be in 2023. The journey will set you close to the life of the Drokpa community, believed to be the last Aryan race and the abundant natural beauty of the Indus river and the Hindukush mountains are some of the attraction at Dah and Hanu, you don't want to miss.

The Last Village of the Aryan Tribe in India

Home of the Drokpa community. History has it that Indus valley, the once-prosperous civilization had many settlements along the banks of the River Indus that was expanded across Indus and Beas by Alexander the Great. After he returned to his homeland, some of his people stayed back in the valley, who later settled in Ladakh. Today, his descendants live peacefully as inhabitants of the Dah and Hanu and they're the Drokpas and these villages are believed to be the last Aryan villages in India.

How to Explore Dha-Hanu like a Pro

The Drokpas live in a group of six villages between Achinathang and Batalik. Village Walks is something that all kinds of travellers would prefer. Dha-Hanu is about 160 km from Leh. At Khaltse, 97 km from Leh, the road bifurcates, one branch heading south east towards Kargil and onwards to Srinagar, the other meanders towards the Indus north-east as the river makes its way to Batalik. Dah is a stiff 15-min uphill climb. Most don’t venture any further than this for till fairly recently the Army restricted access to these villages. To visit, you’ll still need to get a permit from the Deputy Commissioners of Leh and Kargil.

There are travel companies, Life on Planet Ladakh who conducts 2-days tours to the region wherein you can get an overview of the local life, their ways of living and the untouched natural surrounding, that are huge pull for photographers who would come to capture the scenery and portraits of the local life.

The quaint villages of Dah Hanu also has accommodation, family-run guesthouses, tourist bungalows or PWD rest houses. The Sharingmo Lamo Guest House, this one stay in Dah, is higher up and offers lovely views of the village that's brimming with trees of apricots, wine grapes, cherries, walnuts and flowering trees. In the daytime you explore the neighbouring villages and interact with locals, evenings are for strolling around the village and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

Why Dha-Hanu is Culturists & Nature Lovers Go-To-Place

The culture lovers would have time to interact with the Drogpa tribe and also can capture the tribe in action, whilst they make their distinct headgear and ornaments by hand. These two villages have local farms and orchards, an ideal place to enjoy a peaceful stroll and get your hands on delicious apricots, walnuts, cherries and wine-grapes, locally grown. Note, the Brokpa Language Festival recurring every three years, is a great way to know the community and the traditions they follow.

Contact Himalayan Frontier Adventure (Tel: 01982-255345, Mobile: 09906980575) in Leh, who can organise a homestay, permits and transport.

How to Reach Dha Hanu (Dhahanu valley)

Note, Dah Hanu is 188 km from Leh near the Indo-Pakistan border. It is situated between Khalaste and Batalik village.

1. By Road : The best way to reach Dah Hanu is by road. To get there you have to follow the direction of Indus River flowing towards Pakistan via Leh-Srinagar Highway, NH, 1. You can either rent a taxi or self-drive, which takes approximately five hours to reach the village.

2. By Bus: You can also take a bus from Leh to Dah Hanu, and it takes 6 hours to reach.

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