People and Society of Ladakh
India Travel Packages - Ladakh has a population of approximately 2 lakh people. Situated at the crossroad of trade routes between India, Central Asia, East Asia and Tibet, it became an entrepôt for different races, some of whom settled here. Ladakhis are of Tibetan, Dardic and Mongol ethnic origin. Buddhists live mainly in the Ladakh plateau and consitute 52% of the population. The maximum number of Muslims are found in the Kargil district - where the Shias outnumber the Sunni minority - Travel Packages of India.
Indin Travel Packages - Despite or because of the extreme weather conditions and high altitudes, the people are tenacious and hardy. The Ladakhi are renowned for their warmth and hospitality and being invited to a village wedding or into somebody’s house for a hot cup of tea is quite common. Most monasteries are open to visitors, except for some restrictions of time - Indian Travel Packages Asia.
Religion
Travel Packages to Ladakh - The majority of Ladakhis are Buddhist, following the Mahayana Buddhist sect of Vajrayana. Incidentally, Mahayana Buddhism originated in Kashmir and spead via Ladakh to Tibet, China and Japan. Yellow Hat Buddhism, whose spiritual head is the Dalai Lama was introduced into Ladakh as a reform movement. In many parts of Ladakh, the ancient animistic Bon rituals are mixed with Tantric Buddhism - Ladakh Travel Packages.
Travel Packages of Ladakh- Monasteries are an integral part of the village life and lamas not only perform religious duties, but also are physicians, teachers and agricultural workers. In continuation of an ancient tradition, almost every family sends one son or daughter to become a lama or chomo (nuns). Muslims in the Kargil region largely belong to the Shi’a sect and swear allegiance to the Ayotollahs in Iran. The Persian/Iranian influence is evident in the mosques and buildings that incorporate many features of Persian architecture - India Travel Packages.
Language
Travel Packages of India - Most people in Ladakh speak Ladakhi (or Bodhi), the main language of the region. Other languages and dialects spoken are Balti, Shina, Dardi, Brokshat and Changshat. Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi and English are all spoken with varying degrees of fluency. The Sunnis who live in and around Drass speak Shina, the Shias of Kargil speak either Kashmiri or Balti, like their cousins across the LoC in Baltistan (POK) - Indin Travel Packages.
Food
Indian Travel Packages Asia - The staple food of Ladakhis is barley, which is roasted and then ground to make the tsampa, a kind of barley porridge. Variations of tsampa include yoghurt or cheese along with the barley. Chang is the local alcoholic drink, brewed from fermented rice. The most popular drink of Ladakh is tea, or gur gur as it is known locally. Slightly salty to taste, it is made of a mixture of tea leaves, salt and butter - Travel Packages to Ladakh.
Culture and Crafts
Ladakh Travel Packages - Ladakhis celebrate their marriages with a lot of singing and dancing. There are lengthy sessions of narrative interspersed with group singing and dancing. The nomadic herdsmen of Zanskar perform the Alley Yate while roaming with their flocks, while the Jabro is performed in the regions of Chang-Thang and Rong. Festivals in the monasteries of Ladakh are an important time for gatherings and celebrations. During these special occasions, musical instruments, weapons and religious artefacts are brought out of the monasteries for public display - Travel Packages of Ladakh.
India Travel Packages - The famous mask dances of chaams performed by lamas follow a central theme symbolising the victory of good over evil. Most of the festivals take place in the winter months of January and February. Some, like the Hemis, Lamayuru and Phyang gompas have shifted their celebrations to summer. In addition to the traditional festivals, the tourism department organises various tourist festivals in different parts of the region. The most prominent one held in Leh around late August - early September has archery contests, polo matches and traditional dance and music - Travel Packages of India.
Indin Travel Packages - The craft tradition of Ladakh is very closely linked with Tibet. Musical instruments such as the Tibetan trumpets or thumpchen and cymbals, chhang (local drink) kettles, prayer wheel, tea churners, monastic dance masks, thangkas and jewellery with precious and semi-precious stones are some of the articles produced locally. The perak, traditional headdress of women is masterpieces passed down from mother to daughters as heirlooms. Embedded with turquoise and lapis lazuli, these elaborate long-tailed coverings can cost Rs. 4000 or more - Indian Travel Packages Asia.
