Hi there,
It’s been quite sometime since I put in my last write-up. Winter in Ladakh has its own charm and challenges?
Until mid January the weather was mild as compared to a cold winter. Days sunny and warm no snowfall but as we entered February the weather took turn for the worst and we had very heavy snowfall almost six inches several times and temperatures too fell drastically.
What happens after snowfall if there is no sun then both day and night’s temperatures plummets further down especially in the night. This is when one needs to take care with effective warming which should be neither too high nor too low. As one has to perform outside household chores during the day.
our winter
The animals too are inside the sheds during night which includes cows, Dzos crossbreed between cow and Yak very useful during sowing season in our subsistence agriculture.
Most of the families have fore-gone goats and sheep as children who earlier attended shepherding began attending schools during the year 2000 onward in greater numbers. So families began selling them also losing the potent urinated dung called as ‘Rigpa’ or layered dung which gets collected in the open air corral.
goats assembled for morning milching
The Changthang region located at 4000 mts m.s.l from north to south east direction. There the goats provides a woolen fleece famously known as the ‘Pashmina’ or as ‘Cashmere’ around the world due to the exquisite value addition performed by the crafts persons of Kashmir valley where these fleece are bought in grams and spun yarn sold at added value thus making income during long winter haul by the Kashmir artisans.
All the crafts of Kashmir developed during the Maharaja’s time who even established the silk factory. Thus they began manufacturing silk scraves of intricate designs absolutely beautiful. Besides producing sarees and other products.
The Cashmere stalls and shawls began to arrive in the fashion emporiums of Paris and London in the 18th and 19th century it is said Josephene the wife of Nepolean Bonaparate was very found of them because of which these became very valued possession in the wardrobe of elites of Europe and America.
Kashmiri Kani pattern
Later the Ladakh Hill Development Council (LAHDC) which came into being during the year 1994 for five year term periods focused on improving the quality of raw fleece by having mechanized carding machine with a heavy capital cost beginning year 2000 onward.
The raw wool would be bought at rupees 2000 per kiliogram now one could buy high quality carded Pashmina wool at rupees five thousand per kilogram that removed lots of intermediaries in the traditional practice by the year 2000.
Besides we began weaving very high quality Cashmere shawls and stalls locally which had not happened earlier! and there began to float many varieties of Cashmere knitted products such as caps, gloves and mufflers by the year 2016 onward.
Agriculturally too there is greater production of organic vegetables in the Indus valley belt around Leh. Also greater thrust towards the production of milk too. Quality tasty yogurt can be accessed in the market very easily.
locally grown vegetables
Outsiders should know that we have one agriculture season beginning March 21 until end of August of each year say six months of working season therefore the tourism sector has developed as a major industry along side it which itself began in the year 1974 this year being the ‘golden jubilee’ year besides being employed in tertiary sector. So everyone plans to work for their lean phase which is this long winter haul.
There is also great thrust on the production of horticulture produce which includes apricot jams, sea buck thorn or the berry jam and juice. The exotic variety of apples that have been grafted on local variety are very sweet and juicy also having greater shelf lives. Today some of these products have found their market in cities like Dubai in middle east.
sea buck thorn the untapped gold of our region
some of the very engaging areas include growing of buck wheat, quinoa, broccoli, green pea, potato and mushrooms. The youths are also exploring new opportunities in allied sectors under the new dispensation of Union Territory Administration of Ladakh since the year Aug 5th 2019 in both Leh and Kargil districts. Bye for now.