Ladakh road trip : Kargil to Leh - Maitreya Buddha, a confluence, a wonder and a shrine

15.06.2023 : From Noida to Katra - Driving distance covered 662 km in around 11 hours with breaks for breakfast and lunch of 45 minutes each.

16.06.2023 : Trek to Vaishno Devi shrine - 13 km trekking to shrine, helicopter ride to Katra on way back.

17.06.2023: Katra to Srinagar - Driving distance covered 230 km in around 9 hours with breaks for breakfast for 30 minutes (many halts for passing of army convoy) and 20 km in Srinagar.

18.06.2023: Srinagar - Around 30 km for local sight seeing.

19.06.2023: Srinagar to Kargil - Driving distance covered 190 km in around 6.5 hours (tea break - 10 minutes, Kargil War Memorial 1.5 hours, lunch break 30 minutes, other stops at various places), another 20 km (to and fro) to Hunderman LOC view point.

20.06.2023

We thought of starting after having breakfast in our hotel which was supposed to be served at 8:30 in the morning at the terrace restaurant. But when we reached the restaurant, breakfast was not ready and it seemed unlikely to be served anytime soon. So we decided to leave and try our luck on the way. We had some baked roti we purchased in Srinagar and dry fruits as back up. We left hotel at 8:40 am and drove leisurely stopping to enjoy the view of Kargil city.

After an hour reached a restaurant named Zojila Café maintained by GREF (General Reserved Engineering Force). It was a pretty restaurant with a hexagonal shape with seating both inside as well as in the veranda. A stream was running by the side of it. We opted for hot samosa served with green chutney, maggi and masala tea. Everything tasted yummy and the affection with which it was served, made it taste even better. There were washrooms also in the café.

After hardly 10 minutes later at around 10:30 am we reached Mulbekh village which is famous for a huge stone statue known as Mulbekh Chamba overlooking the old trade route and modern highway. It is an enormous figure carved on the rock face on the right hand side of the road. As per the display board there, the statue was carved in 1st century BC in Kushan Era. The lower part of the statue is partly obscured from outside by a small temple built in 1975. We entered the temple and viewed the full statue from the courtyard. It is the Maitreya Buddha (Future Buddha, also called the "chamba" in local language). Standing tall at 9 m (30 ft) tall, it is one of the three tallest rock cut relief statue of Buddha in Ladakh, which are collectively also known as the "Bamyan Buddhas of Ladakh".

Near the Mulbekh Chamba there are few restaurants and shops selling fruits and vegetables. There are other shops selling electronic goods and clothes also. We picked up some fruits and resumed our journey. The road condition was very good but the road was full of hairpin bends. In around 20 minutes we reached Namika la, one the two high mountain passes between Kargil and Leh. Nestled in the Zanskar range of Himalayas, at an elevation of 3,700 m or 12,139 ft above sea level, this pass is also called as the pillars of a sky passes.

Moving further up for another almost 1 hour, passing through Bodh Kharbu village, we reached Fotu La. At an elevation of 4,108 metres (13479 feet), it is the highest point on the Srinagar - Leh highway.

After crossing Fotu La we entered Lamayuru. The region is also referred to as 'Moon Land', due to its terrain's resemblance to the surface of the Moon. We did not go to the ancient monastery town of Lamayuru which lies a bit off the road. But had a good view from the road and took snaps.

After leaving Lamayuru we reached the township of Khaltsi and stopped for lunch at Raju Punjabi Dhaba.

Moving through places like Nurla, Khaltse, Basgo we reached Nimmoo at around 3 pm where is the grand confluence of Sindhu with Zanskar. The sight of confluence of turquoise green Sindhu with brown Zanskar surrounded by mountains under a clear blue sky took my breath away. At first I went crazy trying to click pictures covering every angle. Then I just savoured the beauty listening to the rustling sound of the breeze. At the confluence there seemed to be lots of activities as it is a hub of river rafting. As we watched the confluence from above and there was not much traffic at that point of time, it was quite peaceful.

Now it was time to witness a wonder. A few minutes from Nimmoo is the famous Magnetic Hill. We saw a signboard which reads "The Phenomenon That Defies Gravity". There is instruction for parking vehicles in the box marked with paint on the road, which is known as the Magnetic Road. When parked at the indicated spot, vehicles begin moving forward on an ascending road defying gravity. There are two explanations offered for this. According to one, which is more common resulting in the name of the point, the hill has a strong magnetic force which is why it pulls vehicles in the vicinity. Another theory is that the hill does not really have a magnetic force but it just creates an optical illusion of sorts so that the road, which actually goes downhill, seems as if it goes uphill. We parked our vehicle at the designated spot, but I could not really sense much movement.

I noticed a family who seemed to be looking for lift and they replied in affirmative when we asked. It was a couple namely Harikant and Rupali with their grandson Dron. They live in Mulund in Mumbai. The couple has been traveling since long with total flexibility with no schedule. They avail public transport as much as possible. They have a son and a daughter. They simply used to shut their business and travel with their kids without any fixed plan or bookings. Now that kids are grown up, they travel by themselves. This time they have brought their grandson who seemed to be a very enthusiastic young boy. They have come to Leh by taking bus and reached the day before. That day they visited nearby points by taking bus and was looking for lift to go back to Leh when I noticed them. It's really remarkable and I appreciate their spirit of traveling. They are true travelers and we were very happy to listen to their experiences. They have extensively travelled all over India and visited Kamakhya temple in Guwahati in my home state of Assam.

Chitchatting with them we reached Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. Harikant bhai and Rupali waited outside as they had already visited it. Dron joined us and acted as our guide.

Gurdwara Pathar Sahib is a beautiful Gurudwara on the Leh-Kargil road, 12000 ft above sea level. It was constructed to commemorate the visit of Guru Nanak to the Ladakh region during the period of 1515-18 when Guru Nanak was returning to Punjab through Srinagar, after travelling to Sikkim, Nepal and Tibet.

According to a local legend, once a wicked demon live in the area who terrorized the people where the gurdwara is now situated. The people prayed to the Almighty for help. Guru Nanak heard their woes and came to their aid. He settled down on the bank of the river below the hill where the wicked demon lived. The Guru blessed the people with sermons and became popular in the area. The locals called him Nanak Lama. Seeing this the demon got into a rage and decided to kill him. One morning when the Guru was sitting in meditation, the demon pushed a large pathar (boulder), down from the hilltop, with the intention of killing the Guru. The boulder softened like warm wax when it touched the Guru's body and came to a halt against Guru Nanak's back. The Guru kept on meditating unhurt and undisturbed. The demon came down and was taken aback to see the Guru unhurt deep in meditation. In a fit of anger, he tried to push the boulder with his right foot, but as the pathar still had the softness of warm wax, his foot got embedded in it. The demon realized the spiritual power of the great Guru and begged for forgiveness. Guru Sahib advised him to get rid of his wicked ways and to lead a life of a noble person. The demon took his advice and started serving the people giving up his evil deeds.

In the late 1970s, during the construction of the Leh-Nimmoo road, a large boulder was found by the road crew of Indian Army which they could not move in spite of several attempts. Hearing this several Lamas and other Ladhakhis came to tell them the story of a Holy Saint they called Nanak Lama. The army then constructed the Gurudwara around the boulder with an impression and it is still maintained by them.

We offered our prayers, took prasad and also took tea at Dron's insistence. Then I clicked a snap of the family and took their permission to use it on my blog.

Just at the outskirt of Leh, there is this war museum called Hall of Fame built in memory of the soldiers who had lost their lives through the Indo-Pak wars. The Leh Hall of Fame consists of three wings: The War Museum, The War Cemetery - Shaurya Sthal, and the War Memorial. The war museum has two stories, each divided into several sections. In the upper floor, there is a section named OP Vijay Gallery where the weapons used in the Kargil war, along with arms and ammunition captured by the Indian Army during the war are on display. In another section, the apparel and amenities used by the Indian Army in the Siachen region to survive the extreme cold weather have been displayed. There are also the pictures of army posts on the glacier, living accommodation of the troops and the training process of the troops on ice walls.

On ground floor there is a section with pictures of Kargil War depicting an elaborate and fascinating account of how the Indian Army fought the war. A wall named "Lest We Forget" displays the photographs of those soldiers who laid down their lives defending our nation. Other memorabilia on display are personal belongings of soldiers including the last letter written by Captain Vijayant Thapar to his parents shortly before he marched off to perish in battle (also displayed in Kargil War Memorial).

One can watch a documentary on "Operation Vijay" in the projection room. In the evening a light and sound show is conducted every day.

There is a section which displays the history, culture and other associated facts with Ladakh.

There is a gallery dedicated to the Sino-Indian war which was fought between India and China in the year 1962.

Leh Hall of Fame also includes a section showcasing the role Indian Army played in the Ladakh floods of August 2010 when 71 towns and villages were damaged, including Leh.

It consists of a souvenir shop where we purchased a few items. There is a restaurant in the premises to refresh oneself.

It took us nearly two hours to visit the museum and left us thoroughly impressed.

We previously booked a room in the hotel The Khawachan House and headed for it. But Google maps shows a wrong location and after a few unsuccessful attempts we took help of local people to find it. It is a pretty hotel with good amenities but manned with skeletal staff. A lady and a her Man Friday runs it with some part time staff.

We did not feel like going out for dinner. The hotel doesn't have a full fledged restaurant and serves only breakfast, but offer room service through tie ups with other restaurants. We chose Pakthuk (Ladakhi thukpa) for dinner as we never miss an opportunity to taste local cuisine. It was flavourful with many herbs in it. Delicious and nutritious - it was just what we needed.

With that we signed off for the day.

From Google maps

20.06.2023: Kargil to Leh - Driving distance covered 197 km in around 6.5 hours (Breakfast break - 30 minutes, lunch break 25 minutes, Sight seeing - 3.5 hours)