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Ladakh is bounded by world's two mightiest mountain
ranges the great Himalayan and the Karakoram, It lies
athwart two others The Ladakh and the Zangskar range.
It lies at altitude ranging from about 2,750m to
7,673m. The temperature in summer goes upto 27C and in
winter it drops down to minus 20C.
It
leaves the first time traveler awestruck by its
geographical and cultural difference as they land at Leh.
The features of Ladakhi people, their clothes and dialects
are similar to Tibetan and Mongoloid then Indian. The Mons
from Kullu and Tibet were the first population immigrants
to Ladakh as shepherds' nomads and settled down near Indus
River. Later drads and others immigrated to Lower Ladakh.
Due to cultural and geographical similarities Ladakh is
popular among tourists as Little Tibet. Buddhism is the
dominant religion in Ladakh while Kargil district is
dominated by Muslims and Buddhist. The approach to Ladakh
is invariably marked with many walls that are long upto 2
to 3m, decorated with engraved stones bearing the mantra "Om
Mani Padme Hum" and Chortens which symbolizes Buddha's
mind. The Villages and Mountains are ornamented with gonpa
or monastery residing thousand of Buddhist monks, |
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