Ladakh has high passes, tall cliffs, barren hills without any vegetation but happiest of the people. How can barren hills be beautiful? Can there be a desert at 13,000 feet above mean sea level? Do camels inhabit such a desert? How do people survive at such altitudes? This picture story attempts to answer some of these questions. All the pictures of Ladakh are courtesy our daughter Akanksha who had visited Ladakh in July 2022. Thank you Akanksha for sharing the pictures. The opening picture below is courtesy Abha Maheshwari who travelled together to Ladakh with Akanksha and their families.
The Terrain
Driving through Ladakh you feel so small compared to the lofty mountains rising all around you. Above all, it gives you a feeling of humility. Pictures.
Highest Desert
Ladakh is a high-altitude desert lying north of the Higher Himalayan Ranges which act as a climatic barrier preventing the northward penetration of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) creating desert-like conditions. How can the desert be without its king- the camel? Ladakh has double-humped camels who oblige the tourists with a picture. These camels inhabit the cold desert regions like Mongolia, Kazakhstan etc. Pictures around Hundar desert at an altitude of 13,000 feet above mean sea level below.
The Monasteries
Ladakh is famous for Buddhist monasteries. Many of them are situated on tough hill slopes. You have to be physically fit to climb and reach the monasteries. But the view from the monasteries is breathtaking. Featured here are Thiksey monastery and Maitreya Buddha in Diskit monastery. The prayer wheels are called 'mani chos khor' by the locals in Ladakh. Pictures.
The People
People of Ladakh are mentally so tough. With winter temperatures touching -30 degrees Celsius, they are cut off from rest of the world for six to eight months. They need to stock up in advance. They use their roof tops as a deep freezer in winter. But they still welcome you with a smile. Pictures.
Pengongtso- The Lake
It is one of the icons of Ladakh. 130 kms long and 30 kms wide, two-thirds of the lake lies in China and remaining one-third in India. Tso means lake. And the name is Pen-gong. So Pengongtso is the full name of the lake. Crystal blue waters of the lake entice all travellers. In recent past, few home stays have come up near the lake with minimal facilities. Mercifully, such accommodation is trying to maintain the ecological balance. Hope uncontrolled tourism doesn't spoil the beauty of the lake and its surroundings. Pictures.
Contest KBG-76
One of these pictures of Pengongtso (the lake) was selected for KBG-76, the 76th edition of online caption contest Kaun Banega Ghumakkad. The contest received an overwhelming response. All the creative captions are listed below.
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No.
|
Name
|
Caption for KBG-76 Contest
|
|
1
|
Ajai
Bhumri
|
मेरी वीरानगी दूसरों का
" Lovers Point "
|
|
2
|
Amandeep
Kaur
|
Mountains
are not funny, they are hill-areas🤭
|
|
3
|
Atul
Mulkar
|
Lal
Pila Hara Nila LEKIN Sabse Achcha Tiranga Hamara
|
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4
|
Avinash
Tiwari
|
Neele
akash tale sunahri wadian. Bharat ka mukut Laddakh!
|
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5
|
Avinash
Tiwari
|
Neele
neele ambar pe Swarn jochhaye dil ko lalchaye
|
|
6
|
Bharat
Ladha
|
Prakriti
ka rang sanyojan
|
|
7
|
BR
Natarajan
|
If
Kanyakumari is toe ring for Bharat Mata, then Ladakh is the crowning
glory.
|
|
8
|
C
Raghuram
|
Tranquility
redefined - Bon whispering winds
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9
|
Deepak
Jena
|
Beauty
is whatever gives joy.
|
|
10
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Deepak
Jena
|
Your
heart is free, have the courage to follow it.
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|
11
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Deepak
Jena
|
Not
all classrooms have four walls.
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|
12
|
GR
Sreenivasan
|
The
desert has its own Symphony in Silence 🔕 😌
|
|
13
|
J
Ramamoorty
|
Rocky
beauty.
|
|
14
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Jaishankar
|
My
Lungta (prayer flags) fluttering in the wind are fertile and pregnant among
these barren hills.
They carry my prayers to the gods to shower their blessings on you.
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|
15
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Kausalya
Govindan
|
Shades
of heaven on earth!
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|
16
|
LS
Bhargava
|
Beauty
beyond beautiful dreams
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|
17
|
M
Vasudevan
|
Colourful
buntings and captivating Ladakhi backdrop.
|
|
18
|
Manju
Khaitan
|
Majestic
mountains give a feeling of richness and happiness in the mind!
|
|
19
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Namrata
Bhargava
|
Yeh
haseen wadiyan, yeh khula aasmaan!
|
|
20
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Nidhi
Bhargava
|
दुनिया रंगों से भरी,पर
प्रकृति का रंग सर्वोपरि
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|
21
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Nidhi
Bhargava
|
String
of rainbows
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|
22
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Nirmal
Kumbhat
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नंगा पर्बत
|
|
23
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Peter
de Padua
|
Colours
of hope fly high
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|
24
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Poonam
Bhargava
|
Bare
is beautiful
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|
25
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Poonam
Bhargava
|
प्रकृति का आलिंगन
|
|
26
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Pradeep
Siwach
|
Ladakh
the rich land of Colours.
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|
27
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Prashant
Jadenavar
|
One
cannot see Heaven alive, but one can see Ladakh and it’s pretty close.
|
|
28
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PRR
Rao
|
May
our dreams be larger than mountains and may we have the courage to scale
their summits.
|
|
29
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Radhika
Sareen
|
Golden
silence with immense beauty....
|
|
30
|
Radhika
Sareen
|
Barren....but
a land of thousand beauties....
|
|
31
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Rajendra
Singh
|
Nature
in deep meditation !
|
|
32
|
Rakesh
Bajaj
|
Just
Born a few hundred millenia ago
|
|
33
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Ramanand
Baliga
|
Kissing
the skies; Gaganchumbi
|
|
34
|
Rashmi
Bhargava
|
Ladakh is not just a place it's a feeling
|
|
35
|
RB
Dhavare
|
Prayers vide 'Colourful flags' fluttering in the
background of Silence of the Barren
Hills shall reach the Almighty…
|
|
36
|
Rekha
Bhargava
|
Swarg nahin dekha per Ladakh me prakriti ki chavi
hi swarg ki chavi hai.
|
|
37
|
Ritu
Bhargava
|
Unity in diversity.
|
|
38
|
Ritu
Bhargava
|
This is extraordinary india, where different
colours merge in Nature.
|
|
39
|
Ritu
Bhargava
|
Bharat
desh hai mera!
|
|
40
|
Ruma
Purkayastha
|
Wonder
n wander the land of high passes !!
|
|
41
|
Shereen
Sultana
|
Surreal view
|
|
42
|
Sujata
Das
|
Exploring the unexplored. Paradise on earth,
Ladakh!!
|
|
43
|
Supradeep
Sen
|
Endless
Attraction
|
|
44
|
Susmita
Ganguly
|
Prayer Flags on the roof of the planet.
|
|
45
|
Trixie
Asirvatham
|
Himalayan sunrise over Lung ta - 'wind horses',
Blue for sky ,white for air, red for
fire, green for water , yellow for earth;
Prayer flags fluttering carry
blessings
Positive vibes in all directions
Over all beings and over the land.
|
|
46
|
Veeky
Baths
|
Nothing
can beat the beauty of Ladakh!!
|
|
47
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Vinod
Dhanuka
|
Beauty
in Contrast
|
|
48
|
Vinod
Dhanuka
|
Beauty
Unhindered
|
|
49
|
VV
Ramani
|
"Paradise
on earth" Wake up, protect and preserve for next generations.
|
|
50
|
Yogesh
|
Splendour
- The Beauty Speaks
|
|
51
|
Zafar
Naseem
|
Pristine
earthy colours of nature
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Winners
We are delighted to announce and introduce the winners of KBG-76 along with their winning captions. We thank our Jury for their time.
BR Natarajan aka Dean Nattu- Janma Bhoomi Tamil Nadu, Karma Bhoomi Rajasthan. Nattu is a PhD from BITS Pilani where he was a Professor and Dean till 2010. Thereafter he became Vice Chancellor of leading universities. Presently, he heads the Chemical Engineering department at Banasthali Vidyapith. He is fond of travelling. His caption caught the Jury's eye.
Peter de Padua writes creatively and has won several KBG Contests in the past also. A former Wing Commander of IAF, Peter is a water sport enthusiast. His matter-of-fact caption 'Colours of hope, fly high', won the Jury's appreciation.
Prashant Jadenavar holds a PhD in psychology and an MBA. He is an alumnus of National School of Drama. He has worked with Mahindra and Mahindra and Bosch and now a full time filmmaker. Passionate about theatre, Prashant has made around 20 short films and won awards at film festivals. His caption aptly described the beauty of Ladakh as shown in the picture.
Rekha Bhargava is an alumnus of Birla Balika Vidyapeeth Pilani and Delhi University. She has been a teacher. She loves travelling and meeting people. A regular participant in KBG Contests, her caption compared the beauty of Ladakh with heaven.
Ruma Purkayastha is an educator and wellbeing coach who learns something from her grand children everyday! She majored in psychology and was Principal of a leading school in New Delhi. Her caption 'Wonder n wander the land of high passes' was unique and conveyed a different perspective of Ladakh. Ruma has won the KBG Contests previously also.
Congratulations to all the winners again.
Hope you enjoyed the beauty of Ladakh through our picture story. It is an amazing place. If you haven't been there, plan a trip. Best months are June to September. It remains snowbound for rest of the year. One word of caution: Do acclimatise well before starting your tour. It has rarified atmosphere with less oxygen.
Thanks for browsing.
Stay connected. More KBGs coming up!
- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 21st Aug 22
Postscript:
22nd Aug 22 by a former Air Commodore, IAF who had flown many missions in Ladakh: "Ladakh was the playground, I played for two-and-a-half years. I happened to command the Squadron tasked for Ladakh. Every morning was unique, every sunrise was heavenly. From the air, it was the closest I saw the Nature so beautiful and vivid. With landings at Leh and other airfields, the experience is unique and incomparable."
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