Kargil to Leh is roughly 230 kms and we were animated at the very thought of visiting “The Land of passes” as we entered the third day of our journey beginning from Delhi. As one leaves the Kargil district the dusty brown mountains with clear blue sky will start accompanying you for a major part of your journey.




The first place that one encounters on the journey is Mulbekh, 40 kms from KargilAt Mulbekh, we visited Mulbekh Monastery, which has 2 gompas (Drukpa and Gelugpa) and a nine-meter tall statue of Maitreya Buddha.


Breath-Taking scenery
Breath-Taking scenery
Mulbekh Monastery
Mulbekh Monastery
Maitreya Buddha Statue
Maitreya Buddha Statue

The terrain was getting more amazing after every passing minute and you’ll be in dilemma as to where to halt and take the best snap for your Facebook profile picture ;-)

As one carries on, one will see many picturesque vistas while appreciating BRO (Border Road Organisation) for making this awesome highway which makes your journey one of the best ever. 

After about half an hour we reached our next stop -Namik-La (12,198 feet). Strong winds were blowing at this point of time but it is worth stopping by and capture some beautiful scenery.


Namik La Group Pic
Namik La Group Pic
Namik La
Namik La


The driver was in a hurry to reach Leh so we left the stop early. Next you’ll see mind blowing,  mighty ,beholding, royal, staggering- well, we fall short of words didn’t we because we are referring to the highest mountain range in the world- The Himalayan ranges .

You won’t believe that you are travelling at a height of more than 12000 feet with such awesome sceneries and roads. I have attached a few pictures to give you the feeeeeelllll of the mind-boggling scene! One can also stop at Fotula La (13,479 ft.)- The highest point on the Srinagar-Leh Road. Soon we saw Hungaroo Loops which, blending with majestic Himalayan peaks, were simply mesmerizing.

Himalayan snow peaks
Himalayan snow peaks
 Hungaroo Loops
Hungaroo Loops
Riding down the looops!
Riding down the looops!

As our journey continued, we came to hault at our next stop- Lamayuru Monastery. It is one of the oldest (11th century) and largest monasteries in Ladakh. Unfortunately we reached at lunch time (1:00 pm – 1:30 pm) during which the monastery was closed. So we haven’t had the opportunity to go inside but we did go around the monastery in the clockwise direction (called parikrama) spinning some praying wheels.

Lamayuru Monastery
 Lamayuru Monastery
Prayer flags at Lamayuru Monastery
Prayer flags at Lamayuru Monastery
Praying wheels at Lamayuru Monastery
Praying wheels at Lamayuru Monastery

Leh was still more than 100 kms from here so we stopped at Khaltse for lunch. We tried the Thukpa (some people believed that it is just soupy-noodles, but it is a lot more than that and worth eating once). The place also has a Punjabi dhabha for those who just can’t resist the North Indian food.



Thukpa
Thukpa

One can see mountains changing colours at every turn and at some places you’ll find some violet shade mountains. As a result the roads have also acquired the violet colour. Keep reading BRO sign boards on the way; they would just add more fun to your already awesome journey. 

Before Leh, we crossed Alchi and Saspol and the sceneries were just out-of-the-world. A picture says a 1000 words! Yes a loooong flat road, flanked by the mountains at the far end! Don’t think twice over stopping here and fill out your camera’s memory card.


Flat stretch at Alchi
Flat stretch at Alchi
Magnificent scenery after crossing Alchi
Magnificent scenery after crossing Alchi

As you continue your journey on this flat road (called Kargil-Batalik National Highway), one will see another flat stretch and the moment you see straight ahead, you’ll be welcomed by some big words written on the mountain – MAGNETIC HILL. 

Magnetic hill (also called gravity hill) is a point where if you shut down the engine of the car and park your vehicle in the, marked box, your vehicle will move on its own. Some people say that it is an optical illusion but it is hard to believe especially when you can see your vehicles moving right in front of your eyes.


Magnetic Hill
Magnetic Hill
Park your vehicle here
Park your vehicle here

One of my friend had an app in his mobile which tells the magnetic field in the area. The mark was around 55-60 Tesla in that particular area which was higher than any nearby region. 
Something was getting attracted here! 

Many passed the area without stopping, some even took their car up to the hill till the highest point where their car allowed. It was fun spending some time here.


Group Pic at Magnetic Hill
Group Pic at Magnetic Hill

Leh was still 30-40 kms from here and before we reached Leh, we had an important landmark in between on this Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-Highway- Gurudwara Pathar Sahib.

This is a divine place which was constructed in the loving memory of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Gurudwara was constructed after the 1999 Kargil war. It is maintained and managed by Indian Army only.




Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
Gurudwara Pathar Sahib 
Inside Gurudwara Pathar Sahib-1
Inside Gurudwara Pathar Sahib-1
Inside Gurudwara Pathar Sahib-2
Inside Gurudwara Pathar Sahib-2     
                                                                                                                                                                 

If you have done your planning to be present here on Sunday than you can have the privilege to have a Langar in the Gurudwara. They serve tea and snacks on all the days but Langar is served only on Sundays. You can study about the history of the Gurudwara on the blue boards there, the place is worth stopping by and pay obeisance to the temple.


Langar at Gurudwara

Langar at Gurudwara



The journey of flat road, dusty brown mountains, blue sky, and white clouds with shadows moving on mountains continued. After crossing few military areas and Indian Oil petrol pumps, we finally reached Leh in the evening. 

The excitement was on cloud nine. For those who hadn’t taken any postpaid BSNL connection with them, Aircel network is present here and their mobile networks rose in glory ;-).

Breathtaking view continues…
Breathtaking view continues…
Layers of Mountain
                        Layers of Mountain
Military Tank
Military Tank

The weather was pleasant here, and we enjoyed the stay in our guest house. The night sky in Ladakh is full of stars. Before the moonrise the place has an alluring charm. After the moonrise, the scene is altogether different which itself is mesmerizing in its own way.


To book a customised tour to Jammu and Kashmir, feel free to get in touch with us.

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Don’t forget to check out other images in gallery.
And do drop a line in comment section about your experience. :-)

Next Article : Pangong Tso - Blue Salt in Desert

GALLERY


14 comments:

sarthak said...

Well Written. A trip where one can experience mountainous area. Brown mountains. Magnetic hill is a must watch here. Religious features too. A trip full of masti, adventure, spiritual, thrill. Just see the management of Indian Army. Hats off to these brave hearts. A Lifetime experience.

Himank Sawhney said...

Magnetic hill!! i have gone there myself. Still curious to know how does it defy gravity..

Unknown said...

Wow! Good stuff by you people yet again.. Some of the pictures are really giving a very realistic feel... Curious abt the unexplainable phenomena at magnetic hill.. Looking forward to read visit this place soon enough...

Unknown said...

@Sarthak: Thanks man! Yes the Leh Ladakh will got all what you can experience while traveling. We'll be covering Pangong Tso in our next article. Stay connected :)

Unknown said...

@Himank: The place and the location is so awesome that we stopped on our return journey also. If you could find the detailed theory behind Magnetic Hill,please share it with us also. :)

Unknown said...

@Rohit: Thanks man. This is our best part, wherever we go we click awesome pictures and publish them here. No picture is taken from Google.
Do visit Magnetic Hill, this is one hell of a place. :)

Unknown said...

I really liked the magnetic hill part (Car Moves on its own).
After reading the article I am really excited to visit this place.
The pictures are really awesome and beautiful.
The composition of article and pics is really amazing work you do in all the articles.

Prateek Jain said...

the whole Kargil region is majestic....suru valley which is full of flowers in summers is just fantastic...mountaineering at Panikhar is a once in a lifetime experience..Drass is another must-visit....you'll get goosebumps by the aura of the place :)
a must visit

Disha Garg said...

Amazing description in the article!! (Y) I have been to this place. Had been the most exciting trip. A must visit place for everyone :D

Unknown said...

@ayush - Thanks mate! Yes you should definitely make a plan to visit "Heaven on Earth"! Stay tuned for more fantabuluos pictures and articles!
@Prateek - Yes indeed the region is majestic!
@Disha - Thanks! Stay tuned for more! We have lot of stuff coming every week! :)

Richa said...

it is a true representation of splendid beauty with lofty mountains, deep blue water, white dunes, Buddhist monuments, beautiful mosques and warm people.
wanna go there.

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