LADAKH FESTIVAL 2009

Ladakh Festival 2009 Calendar

            TOURIST  INFORMATION

Introduction:

 Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) and Jammu & Kashmir Department of Tourism (J&K Tourism) welcome you to Leh , the cultural and historical heartland of Ladakh.

Until the 1962 Sino-Indian war , Leh was one of the major crossroads of Asis , and a stopping point on the ancient migration routes of Trans-Himalayan , connecting Central Asia with the Indian sub-continent. The Old Caravan trails led wesward through Kashmir to the Silk  Roads, eastward across the Chang-thang highlands to Tibet and China, and southward through what is now Himachal Pradesh to the plains of India.

Many migrant have come through Leh, some settling on the way , giving a distinctive characteristic to Ladakh’s population: from the west, early Dardic settlers and later, invaders from Baltistan , from the east, Tibetan settlers and rulers; from the north , traders from Yarkand; and much later , Dogra conquerors from Jammu in the south.

The people who settled here established Ladakhi’s long religious and cultural heritage; the Shamanistic Bon-po with roots across the Tien Shen to Southern Siberia’s Attai mountain , and later Buddhism from Kashmir some five centuries before Biddhism reached Tibet. The invasion of the Central Asian walord. Mirza Haider in the 6^th century brought Islam and 19^th century Moravian Missionaries bought Christianity. If the rock carvings ( petroglyphs) that are still to be found along the Indus valley and its tributaries are indication then the carvers belonged to Ladakh’s pre-history , millennia before the first Ladakhi kingdom was established.

Now Indians from many states have come to work and some even to settle here; the Indian Army’s Northernmost Corp is here to protect the country’s northern borders, and tourists from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia come annually. The languages heard in Leh Bazaar are Ladakhi, Urdu, Hindi, English and others from India and around the world.

FOR YOUR HEALTH

Accute  Mountain Sickness:

Accute Mountain Sickness (AMS) can occur to anyone at altitudes above 3000 meters/10,000 feet. The most common symptoms are: breathlessness, coughing, disturbed sleep, headache, inability to concentrate, lassitude, loss of appetite and nausea. As Leh is situated at an altitude of approximately 3,500 meters/11,500 feet, you are advised to properly acclimatize your body by:

• Taking complete rest for upto 36 hours after arrival.
• Moving about slowly and breathing deeply so that your body can get used to lower oxygen levels.
• When trekking , do not permit your trekking guide to go any faster than you ( and your group) can comfortably move.

Gastero-enteric Infections

Gastro-enteric infections due to differing sanitary and bacteriological conditions in different countries need to be taken into account. It is recommended therefore , that:

• In the town , use water –purification tablets or drink only bottled or freshly boiled wate.
• If trekking or on safari , use water purification tablets , freshly boiled water or drink from springs, but not from open streams or rivers.
• Check eating places ( restaurants, dhabas, tea-shops), chosing only those with the cleanest eating and cooking condition. If you should develop a serious gastro-enteric conditions, please:
• Contact a doctor or the hospital neares you immediately.
• Report the name and location of the eating place where you believe you may have contracted your illness to Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Leh who is responsible for public health in the region.

For Cultural Harmony and Understanding

In Ladakh you will find a culture in rapid transition yet one in which the traditional values are still largely in tact. For the sake of mutual respect and comprehension, please observe the following codes.

·        Dress Code: please do not wear shorts and sleeveless shirts/blouses/tops/undershirts in public and especially in gonpas, mosques , temples , gurudhwaras , and churches. The same holds true on trekking routes. While short clothing is acceptable in camp sites away from human habitation , they should be changed for trousers, slacks, long skirts and sleeved shirts or blouses in villages where you might stop. Under no event should swimwear ( and for women bikini tops) be worn in public as these may be taken as sexually provocative and be a cause of possible harassment.

·        Behaviour Code: please keep your affection for your partner as a private matter and confined to your own rooms or tents, but not for public display, on the street , in religious buildings , in restaurants or at public events.

·        Photography Code: please do not take photographs of local people without asking them first, nor of, or within, any religious building and of any religious ceremony without permission of the monk, mullah, priest or pastor in charge. Remember that the intense light of flash photography is damaging to ancient wall painting and tapestries (eg Thangkas)

For Your Information

        The Jammu & Kahsmir Government Tourism Department Leh has  brought out a useful Tourist Directory of Ladakh, which is available from the J&K Tourist Office on Airport Road, and from the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), Opposite J&K Bank, in the main market.

        Important Telephones:

·        STD Code of Leh : 01982

·        Tourist Office: 252297, 252094, 253462

·        Deputy Commissioner: 252010

·        LAHDC: 252212

·        SSP Leh ( Foreign Registration Office):252200

·        CMO Leh (Medical Officer):-252012

·        Casuality: 252360

·        Airlines IC: 252076 City Office, Airport :252255

·        Jet Airways : 250132,250638 (City Office)

·        Jet Airways Airport: 250380

·        Police Station: 252018

·        Control Room: 254880

·        Bus Station: RTC: 252085

·        Private Bus Operator Office: 252792

·        Taxi Stand: 252723. 253039