Part 6:The Picturesque Pangong Tso

“Hubby: Somebody wrote an Urdu couplet about heaven on earth What was it?

Me: It was by Amir Khusro, he said it for Kashmir

… Agar Firdaus bar rōy-e zamin ast, hamin ast-o hamin ast-o hamin ast (If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.)

Hubby: He would not have come HERE, else he wouldn’t have wrote it for THERE.

Me: May be because you haven’t been THERE, you are attributing it HERE"

We were finally at the last leg of our Ladakh trip. Our destination was one of the largest brackish water lakes in Asia, “Pangong Tso” (Tso stands for lake) at a height of 14,270 ft. After being subjected to diverse altitudes, extreme temperatures and dreadful terrains, I was able to feel the stress of journey taking over. And in order to cut down on strain we condensed our Pangong lake overnight stay to a day tour (Something I will regret throughout life…). I was somehow not very enthusiastic about taking this trip may be due to exhaustion. But since it was a part of itinerary I was left with no choice. I was wondering what is so special about a landlocked lake sans greenery that makes a traveller go berserk.

Our driver Showkat Bhai on the other hand, was all praise for Pangong. Throughout our drive, he narrated the historical significance of this place and also instances when China tried to infiltrate through this water body. His widespread knowledge of history, geography and culture bowled me over and I was kind of looking forward to see if this place actually holds that magic of which everyone talks about.

The 5 hour drive to Pangong Tso started at 6:30 a.m from Leh. Plying on rough, dramatic roads and passing through beautiful villages of Sakti, Shey and Gya, we reached “Changla Pass” (17,590 ft). The pass offers a small cafeteria to tourists and also harbours the nodal centre of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Before we could choose our beverage from the menu, Showkat Bhai already had something in store for us. He brought authentic homemade “Kashmiri salted Pink Tea” and locally baked wheat flour bread from his house for us. The divine taste of that Kashmiri breakfast is still etched to my taste buds and I often crave it even now.

We then descended into Durbuk Village with slight improvement in road condition. The vegetation looked better than the rest of Ladakh as different variety of seasonal flowers beautified the landscape apart from the agricultural plantation. Moving on we passed through Tangste, Lukung and Spangmik villages.

With every passing settlement the presence of army became stronger. Since we were heading towards India-Tibet Border, there were places where photography was completely prohibited. There were some quiet and lonely stretches where the road signs warned of landmines and bunkers. In between there was beautifully maintained “Major Shaitan Singh memorial” where a tourist check post is located (again…taking pictures was strictly prohibited). After registering ourselves, we drove towards the Changthang Platue, adjacent to which was our destination.

As we entered the Changthang plateau, we were welcomed by some cute, oversized, plump and extremely sociable rodents, The Himalyan Marmots. These gregarious creatures remain in hibernation for most part of the year and so the ones able to meet them should consider themselves lucky.

After a bumpy yet beautiful drive of 5-6 hr through colorful Ladakhi villages, we reached India-Tibet Border. I was besotted by the first glimpse of the exquisite Pangong Tso.

In front of me was 134 Km long, 100m deep, 5 Kms wide assortment of multiple shades of blue covering an area of 604 km2. Pangong is serenity at its best. Hidden far away in the barren land of Ladakh, this crystal clear lake is a flawless emblem of nature’s craftsmanship. The brackish water plays with sunlight to produce diverse effects of light imparting different shades of blue colour to the water body. One-third part of the lake lies in India while the remaining two-third lies in China occupied Tibet.

These tranquil, azure blue waters with a shaky lakeshore guarded by sky high peaks are mystical in a unique way. There is a captivating calmness in the air which actually makes you realize the power of natural forces. This is one such place which makes you feel how small you and your problems are in front of the Almighty who is the master, the creator of this big, beautiful and mysterious world. While we headed for the tents for some rest and lunch I was regretting my decision of not staying at Pangong for a night. I was now dying to see the sunset and sunrise at this enchanting lake, but it was too late now.

The Swiss tents too were as comfortable as those in Nubra making us regret even more. While the lunch was being prepared, Arij wasted no time and immediately took a refreshing power nap on the lake shore while I enjoyed a rejuvenating walk along the shoreline. This lake is an important breeding ground for a variety of migratory birds such as the Bar-headed goose and Brahmini ducks which are commonly seen here from June- September.

Since this lake witnessed the climax of 3 idiots, there was another tribute to Rancho and his friends by Dolma’s Restaurant.

As we finished lunch it was time to head back to Leh. I still remember the dreadful feeling I had while driving away from this equanimity. Going back to the routine chaotic city life was something I was now not looking forward to. I was ready to bear all the physical strain all over again but wanted to come back to Pangong to feel the fresh wind in my hair and the chill down my spine, again. I was once more willing to go through the bumpy roads and skip a couple of heartbeats while looking down the hills only to see how a frozen Pangong Tso looks like.

But as they say all good things come to an end, our tryst with Pangong too was coming to an end.