Hi there,
Last few days the weather has been rather chiller especially in the morning and evening. The upper Ladakh around Indus valley is amidst harvesting of the agriculture crops. The sun too has been very hot and by end of this month the harvest would end up and weather receding towards Autumn.
The farmers have sown peas in my village Serthi (Sakti) about 50 K.Ms from Leh, it’s located at higher altitude hence the weather is much cooler then the Indus valley of Leh. Besides the farmer grow potatoes, barley, mustard also vegetables by several families in the lower narrow communities of Khargyu (Karu). The ancient name of my village being Serthi which also includes Chede (Chemrey) and Khargyu (Karu).
The valley has remains of nine castles therefore the name ‘Khargyu’ which are about a thousand years old from the period of the ‘Chodus’ (period of the chiefs) the most famous of the ‘Cho’ (chief) being chief of Gya located in the south east direction of Serthi valley about 80 Kms on the Leh Manali Highway.
In one of the presentation of Mousier Quentin from le Sorbonne France a long time researcher and field archeologist of Ladakh depicted the interesting practical defense strategy of the Chief of Gya’s forces by building watch towers on the western Gya village slope having great height.
During this period the communities were very small and were shying away in nook and corners of the region for safety and security. There was also the influence of the ‘Bon’ practices also prevalence of animal sacrifice. These regions were also more influenced by the Tibetan customs and tradition being closer to western Tibet which is actually the region around Mt. Kailash.
Now we are also slowly entering early autumn season and domestic visitors are frantically making their last bid to visit Ladakh. The motorists and motor cyclist are rushing towards the pristine ‘Pangoong and Tsomoriri Lakes’ also making safari tours of Nubra valley!
I am afraid this year there has been less visitors to Lamayuru which otherwise had been a very sort after destination as it houses Ladakh’s oldest monastery of 10th century C.E with the holiest cave of the Yogi Naropa or Narotam who was a Prince of Kashmir valley and took to ascetic way of life and went in search of Yogi Tilopa his teacher and guide.
There seems to be laxity on the part of visitors for putting on very loose and revealing costume during the peak summer season during the month of July and August 2021 which is somewhat contrary to social norms of Ladakh hence need for bringing out guidelines for dress code of visitors as we used to have in the mid 1980s!
Bye for now.