Ladakh is the coldest desert in the mountains in the eastern part of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies between Kunlun maintain in the north and main Great himalays to the south.Ladakh is one of the most sparsely populated regions of Jammu Kashmir.
Ladakh Climate
Lladakh lies at the altitutde from 9000 feet to 25170 feet.At this height it is the highest inhabited land in this world. Ladakh is a landscape of extremes, desert and blue waters, glaciers and sand dunes, burning sun and freezing winds. In summmers temperatures rarely exceed about 27 degree celcius in the shade, while in winter they may plummet to minus 20 degree celcius even in Leh.
Ladakh is covered with snow for a large part of the year,very little agriculture is possible here since this region does not receive any rain as it is sheltered from the rain-bearing clouds of the Indian monsoon by the barrier of the Great Himalaya. There are very few tree that can grow in the region. People depend on melting snow during summer months for drinking water.
Ladakh Culture
Life is very simple in Ladakh, people here keep sheep and sheep in this region are very special because they produce Pashmina wool. This wool is prized and manishmia shawls made out of it cost a lot of money. Pashmina shawls are chiefly woven in Kashmir. Eveyhouse hold of ladakh spun and wove its won wooven clothes. One of the most important forms of art and culture of ladakh is “thangkas”. It is a devotional painting on cloth. A kind of Budhist icon made with repeating the same motifs endlessly.
ladakh people are brilliant in dance, music and literature.
The largest town in Ladakh is Leh. Leh is at an altitude of 3524 metres (11,562 ft), and connects via National Highway 1D to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via Leh-Manali Highway. It is one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in South Asia.