Turtuk village

Turtuk is a small village in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. Turtuk is one of the nothermost village of India, second only to Murgo Village, the northernmost village of India. Turtuk is situated in the Leh district of the Nubra Valley. It is 205 km from Leh, the district headquarters, and 2.5 km from the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Turtuk is also the headquarters of the eponymous community development block.

Turtuk is located on the banks of the Shyok River. Geographically, the village is in the Baltistan region, which is administered by Pakistan except for four villages which are part of India, one of which is Turtuk. These villages form the only region in India populated by Balti people.

Turtuk was under Pakistani control until the war of 1971, when the Indian Army captured the village.Turtuk is the last outpost of India's Ladakh(Indian Sentinel in the North), after which Pakistan-controlled Gilgit-Baltistan begins. The village is one of the gateways to the Siachen Glacier. Turtuk is known for its varieties of fruits, especially apricots

The area came under India after disloyal Bengali major of Pakistan Army deployed in Turtuk sector fled the area, Allowing the Indians to enter village without any resistance. Pakistani authorities later sent letters to the villagers inviting them to settle in Gilgit Baltistan, some moved to Pakistan while others remained in India

Turtuk has only been opened to tourists since 2010 and is therefore a hidden gem. To write about it is almost like exposing a secret, for to go there is like a journey of discovery that one has been privileged to gain access to, a mystical world that one might otherwise never know existed; yet the place leaves an indelible impact that needs to be shared.

 It is quite a trek to get to Turtuk, as it is far from the town of Leh. You might be able to hop onto a shared taxi or rent a car, by far the best option, but it is completely worth the arduous journey. It takes about eight to nine hours to get to Turtuk, and it is advisable to stop at Hunder, Nubra Valley overnight if one wants to see both places. Foreign nationals have to obtain permits to enter Turtuk, and these can be obtained through a travel agent beforehand in Leh. Indians can enter showing a government-approved it.

Sangam ( the confluence of the Zanskar and the Indus river)

 

Sangam (confluence), located at Nimmu on Leh-Srinagar highway,

 is  the confluence of Indus (Sindhu) and Zanskar rivers.

Zanskar river coming from Zanskar valley of Union Territory of

 Ladakh meets the Indus river at Nimmu and offers a spectacular

 view to the visitors. Indus is the lifeline of Ladakh which irrigates

 the dry land of the valley.

A large number of tourists visit Sangam point to enjoy the beauty of

 nature. Also, this is a river rafting point where adventure enthusiasts

 come to experience thrill of river rafting.

The muddy water of a river meets with blue waters of other at

 Sangam point and offers a beautiful view.

A new highway, Manali – Darcha – Shinkula pass – Padum (Zanskar

 Valley) – Nimmu, which is under construction, will meet Leh-

Srinagar highway at Sangam.

Umling La (19,023ft)

World’s highest motorable road at Umling La pass in

Eastern Ladakh, located at an altitude of 19,023 ft.

The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has constructed the

world’s highest motorable road in the Ladakh region of Union

Territory of Ladakh, passing through Umling La Top at a

height of over 19,300 feet.

The feat was achieved under “Project Himank” of the BRO.

Being close toHanle, the 86-km-long strategic road

through Umling La Top connects Chisumle and Demchok

villages. These villages are very close to the India-China border

in eastern sector.

On November 16, the United Kingdom-based Guinness World

Records recognised the BRO’s ‘Project Himank/753 BRTF’,

which saw the construction of a 52-km motorable road that

connects remote villages in eastern Ladakh and traverses the

5,798.251-metre-high (19023 feet) Umling La Pass, making it

the highest motorable pass in the world.

Incidentally, the road is at a higher altitude than the North and

South Base Camps of Mount Everest, which are altitudes of

5,151m (16,900 ft) and 5,363.8m (17,598 ft) respectively.

Magnetic hill

Magnetic hill is located near Leh in Ladakh.  It is 7.5 km southeast of Nimmoo and 26.5 km west of Leh on Srinagar-Ladakh road.

There are two theories that can explain the reason behind this uphill movement. The most common one is that the hill has a strong magnetic force which is why it pulls vehicles in the vicinity. In fact, so strong is this magnetic force that planes of the Indian Air Force avoid this route so that they don’t face magnetic interference on their devices.

Another equally popular theory is that of an optical illusion.

 According to this, the hill does not really have a magnetic force but

 it just creates an optical illusion of sorts so that the road, which

 actually goes downhill, seems as if it goes uphill. Therefore, when

 you see the vehicle going upslope, it is actually the opposite and

 does not defy the laws of nature.