Zanskar valley of Ladakh was in news recently as the residents of Buddhist dominated Zanskar valley are celebrating for a good.The distance between Himachal and the valley being reduced by over 600km as the happy residents of the valley welcomed the first vehicle that arrived via new opened road after crossing over the Shinkula Pass.
The road between Darcha in Lahaul valley of Himachal and Padum in Zanskar that crosses over the 16,600ft high Shinkula (Shingo-la) is being laid for almost 10 years now. The road is not at all safe for general traffic movement and is still under construction, yet three persons from Manali successfully reached Padum, headquarters of Zanskar, in their SUV. Watching vehicle coming into the valley from Shinkula pass, the three were given warm welcome by residents in many villages. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) officials, politicians and many organizations also congratulated the three for being the first to reach valley by this road.
“Initially we had planned to visit Shinkula and return back to Darcha and head to Kargil via Leh. We met with 70RCC commanding officer Deepak Bisht near the pass who encouraged us to give a try to this adventurous journey. We kept crossing nallahs, river and at some time no road. At one point near Lakhang, there was no road and the area was submerged in Zanskar river. BRO’s JE Keshav Kataria who asked us that he will cross our vehicle at any cost through the stretch helped us in making a road through river. We had no idea that we are the first people to reach Zanskar until we were told by BRO officials and locals,” the over joyed Pritam Thakur , one of three persons said.
Till the time Zanskar, the southern part of Ladakh in Kargil district, is reachable by the only road via Kargil., Zanskar, with a population of about 15,000 have same culture and religion that of people of Lahaul valley of Himachal. Many children from the valley study in Kullu. Residents buy ration and other essential items from Lahaul or Kullu and ferry it with help of mules and horses. The only connecting road to Zanskar headquarter Padum from Manali is over 910km and takes three to four days of travel time. The new road via Shinkula is just 273km, about 630km less than the traditional route via Kargil and Pensi-la.
After hearing the news about arrival of the vehicle to the valley, Rigzin Dawa and Tashi Langzom, the King and queen of Zanskar, gave a traditional welcome to the three at Zangla palace. Rigzin said opening of this road will end the suffering of the people of dozens of villages of Zanskar. He said Zanskar is vast and is home to a large number of ancient monasteries which would be easily accessible to the tourists. “Our new generation will definitely have a good time. They will have a comparatively comfortable life. This road will generate livelihood options for our people. The road has connected many remote villages,” he further added.
Distance chart
- Manali to Padum via Kargil – 910km
- Manali to Padum via Shinkula – 273km
