Nothing is real in this land, only surreal. 🌸
Completely smitten by the grace of this beautiful land. The bewitching landscapes and the pristine vibes. Leh has a charm that is treat to one's mind, body, soul and also to the tummy. 😁.
Following are the snippets of my experience and my travel to Leh..
Sangam -
Where Colors Merge. :)
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When two different color river meet and greet each other with respect. It's a nature's and photographers paradise. That's the confluence of Indus and Zanskar river in Ladakh. 📷
Indus used to be the lifeline of the ancient civilization of India. The famed Harappa and Mohenjo-daro cities survived here until the river altered it's course. And thus was the decline of the renowned Indus Valley Civilization. The river now flows through Ladakh and enters Pakistan to eventually flow into the Arabian sea. 🌊
But you know what's beautiful?
One shining blue river merging with the other so green. Both of them originate in the high Himalayas. And are surrounded by the textured mountains further enriching the vibrancy of this magical confluence. The whole ambience there only urges you to leave everything and sit down there to admire the enchanting landscape.
❤️🌼
Magnetic hill -
Straight way to heaven. 🛣️
30kms from Leh City is this tiny stretch of land that defies the law of gravity.
This land has caused many aircrafts of Indian army to divert their route to avoid magnetic interference on them.
To experience the magnetic pull, all you have to do is - there is a yellow box painted on the magnetic road, just a few meters before the Magnetic Hills. This is where the drivers are indicated to park their respective vehicles in neutral gear. Once the vehicle is in static position, the car/jeep begins to move upwards at an average speed of 20 kmph.
However, the science states there is some magnetic force at work beneath the surface that is causing the reverse gravitational pull. Some also feel that the whole experience is a mere optical illusion where one feels moving upwards and not downwards.
Magnetic Hill is an extremely famous and mysterious destination in Leh. This uncanny component of the hill definitely makes it worthy to visit and experience the phenomenon in person.
Pangong Tso aake agar aisa clichè pose nahi kiya, toh did you even come to Pangong? 😄 😛 .
The mighty Khardung La - The highest motorable pass in the world. Literally, meaning “Pass of Lower Castle”. Driving over the highest road in the world wasn't quite an easy one. With active snow fall happening at that moment leading to harsher road conditions to depleting oxygen level as we ascended to the top. But as it's said, 'When everything freezes, only courage moves on', and oh boy, that view from the top made everything worth it.
The views from the pass is breathtaking – with the Ladakh range to the south and Karakoram to the north. And snow capped peaks all around, it gives a feel of driving through a paradise.
Khardung La is an important pass as the troops and supplies to Siachen is routed through this pass. Though the claim of Khardung La to be the highest motorable pass in the world is debatable currently, as reports claims BRO under the project HIMANK has constructed Umling La pass at the elevation of 19,300 ft. But until that is proven, I'll enjoy basking in the feeling of for once being ON TOP OF THE WORLD. ❤️
Someone - Have you ever lived?.
Le me - Did a road trip to the jagged trails of northern mountains of Ladakh though the clouds and snow blizzards at 17688 ft. That counts for a little 😉❤️
Nubra valley is at an altitude of about 10,000 ft and is a must visit place in Ladakh. The ultra-wide landscapes, humongous mountain faces, lovely trails, a wide variety of colors and musical Shyok river flowing midst the valley will take your breath away at the first sight. 😍. PS- You need an innerline permit to visit Nubra Valley.
Rancho school -
The quintessential '3 idiots' movie prop.
It's a trend to visit the places where blockbuster movies are shot and so thanks to bollywood for promoting tourism in Leh Ladakh and adding it to the list of most popular locations in India.
Now just like Madhuri falls in Tawang, Rang de Basanti fort in Jaipur, Dil chahta hai fort in Goa, we have Rancho's school in Leh.
School authorities have cashed in quite well on the popularity of the film.
The most prized venue of the campus is the famous Idiotic Wall immortalized by the 3 Idiots 'electric shock' scene. There's Rancho cafe with quaint interiors and popular props from the movie. You don't come there for food, but to take a piece of memory of the place you loved seeing in the movie. These places are a prized spot for Selfies and Group shots.
Talking about the school, it's been conferred with the title of being one of most beautiful schools in the world by BBC, London in 2016 for it's innovation in architecture and design.
Eco-friendly design, brilliant system of education, sustainable architecture, go-green practices and a whole place that talks about Rancho. But the school authorities have decided to raze the idiotic wall and ban the entry of visitors because of huge influx of tourists over the years and resultant distraction of students and littering around the campus.
Hemis monastery-
High in the Indian Himalayas, young novice monks in maroon robes take their lessons inside the monasteries. Most Tibetan families in India send at least their one child to a monastery to learn about their own culture, language and religion. There is nothing else but just kindness and happiness in their lifestyle and that teaches that best things in life are usually simple. ⭐💯
