©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Jammu & Kashmir (including Ladakh) Why Go? ladakh .......................228 Welcome to three incredibly different worlds in one state. leh .............................230 For most foreigners, J&K’s greatest attractions are the Hima- layan lands of Ladakh and Zanskar, with their disarmingly Nubra Valley ..............250 friendly Tibetan Buddhist people, timeless monasteries, arid Pangong Tso .............. 255 canyons and soaring snow-topped mountains. But neither Tso Moriri loop.......... 255 area is easily accessible, especially outside midsummer. Kargil ..........................261 Hordes of domestic visitors make pilgrimages to tem- Suru Valley .................262 ples around Hindu Jammu and love Muslim Kashmir for its cool summer air and alpine scenery. Srinagar’s romantic Zanskar ......................262 houseboat accommodation is another drawcard. However, The Kashmir Valley ...264 political volatility remains a concern. Disputes over Kash- Sonamarg ..................266 mir caused three 20th-century wars, and intercommunal Srinagar ..................... 267 strife still breaks out sporadically. Always check the security situation before travelling to Jammu or Srinagar but, even Jammu....................... 277 if things look dodgy there, you can expect Ladakh to be as meditatively calm as ever. Best Buddhist Monasteries ¨¨Yungdrung Gompa (p260) When to Go ¨¨Thekchhok Gompa (p247) Leh °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm ¨¨Thiksey Gompa (p247) 40/104 32/800 ¨¨Karsha Gompa (p264) 24/600 ¨¨Diskit Gompa (p252) 20/68 16/400 0/32 8/200 Best Mountain -20/-4 0 Scenery J F DNOSAJJMAM ¨¨Pangong Tso (p255) Jun & Sep ideal Jul & Aug Perfect Winter Skiing at ¨¨Dal Lake (p267) for Srinagar and for ladakh; Pa- Gulmarg. ladakh, ¨¨Turtuk and the Shyok Sonamarg; roads halgam overflows only acces- Valley (p253) to ladakh can be with pilgrims; rain sible by air, has blocked. drenches Jammu. festivals but no ¨¨Leh–Manali road (p248) tourists. 225 MAIN¨POINTS¨ Food OF¨ENTRY A full traditional Kashmiri wazwan (feast) can have dozens of courses, notably mutton-based dishes such as goshtaba Srinagar, Jammu and (pounded mutton balls in saffron-yoghurt curry), tabak Leh have commercial maaz (fried lamb’s ribs) and rogan josh (rich, vividly red- airports. Jammu has coloured mutton curry). Kashmiri chefs also serve delicious- the only major railhead. ly aromatic cheese-based curries and seasonal nadir (lotus By road, Ladakh is only stems) typically served in yakhni (a curd-based sauce made accessible in summer mildly minty with fennel). Kashmiri kahwa is a luxurious over tortuous mountain golden tea flavoured with saffron, cinnamon and crushed roads from Srinagar and almonds. Manali. Ladakh’s Tibetan favourites include salt-tea, momos (sa- voury dumplings wrapped ravioli-style in thin pasta) and thukpa (noodle soup) though a more genuinely Ladakhi dish is skyu, pieces of flat barley ‘gnocchi’ in a vegetable stew. Fast Facts Ladakh’s barley-beer, chhang, is available at rural homestays ¨¨Population: 10.1 million but not for general sale. ¨¨Area: 222,236 sq km ¨¨Capitals: Srinagar DON’T¨MISS (summer), Jammu (winter), Leh (Ladakh) BuddhistLadakh (p228) is India at its most beguilingly j human and scenically stunning, a rugged high-altitude ¨¨Main¨languages: Kashmiri, ammu & Kashmi desert softened with Tibetan temples, irrigated paddies Urdu, Ladakhi, Balti and mesmerising mountain lakes. Come in summer ¨¨Sleeping¨prices: $ below when the rest of sweltering India is drenched in mon- ₹1000, $$ ₹1000 to ₹5000, soons. But allow ample contingency time for acclima- $$$ above ₹5000 tisation, cancelled planes and roads that can suffer lengthy closures caused by landslides. R Top Tip (inclu Check the security situation Top State Festivals before heading to the Kash- mir Valley. Even if troubles D Hindu festivals are celebrated in Jammu, Muslim ones in return to Srinagar, don’t be ing the Kashmir Valley and Buddhist temple festivals abound in deterred from visiting ever- Ladakh and Zanskar. l calm Ladakh. a ¨¨Dosmoche (hFeb-early Mar; Leh, p230, Diskit, p252, Likir, D a p256) Buddhist New Year is celebrated with masked dances; K effigies representing the evil spirits of the old year are burnt or h) cast into the desert. Resources ¨¨News (www.greater ¨¨Matho¨Nagrang (hFeb-Mar; Matho,p246) Monastery kashmir.com, www.daily oracles perform blindfolded acrobatics and ritual mutilations. excelsior.com, www.kashmir ¨¨Amarnath¨Yatra (hJul-mid-Aug; Amarnath, p266) Hindu times.com, www.kashmir pilgrims’ mountain trek to Amarnath. herald.com/main.php) ¨¨Ladakh¨Festival¨(h1-15 Sep; www.reachladakh. ¨¨Traveller¨Forum¨(www. com/festival_dates.htm; Leh, p235) Events include a indiamike.com/india/ carnivalesque opening parade, Buddhist dances, polo, music jammu-and-kashmir-f30) and archery. ¨¨Tourism (www.jktourism. ¨¨Losar (hDec; Ladakh & Zanskar) Tibetan New Year is org) celebrated two months earlier in Ladakh. ¨¨Kashmir¨Conflicts¨(http: //blankonthemap.free.fr/1_ accueil/map.php?code=1015).