Markha Valley

Language & Culture

Language:
English is widely spoken throughout the Himalaya, and signposts on major routes are frequently in Roman script. Minor roads and junctions are signposted too, albeit in Hindi, so consider photocopying the alphabet page of a Hindi grammar for when there’s no-one to ask directions from. Hindi directions take on a life of their own when translated into English – houses acquire ’backsides’, roads have ’downsides’, and lefting and righting are a matter of course. As always, once off into the villages people will appreciate your attempts at Hindi or Ladakhi – even if they also find them hilarious.

Culture:
The Indian Himalaya is a mosaic of three of the world’s greatest religions - Islam in western Ladakh and Kashmir, Buddhism in Ladakh and Spiti, and Hinduism in most of Himachal Pradesh.In places these cultures have fused – in Buddhist Leh travellers will find themselves waking at 4.30am to the muezzin’s plaintive call to prayer, and in Kinnaur Hindu and Buddhist statues stand side by side in the temples and gompas. Within these regions, smaller pockets of unique cultures exist – such as the Balti Dards of Dha-Hanu and the Khampa nomads of the Chang-tang plateau. Muslim girls in Leh have greater freedoms than their sisters in Kashmir, who are secluded and, when seen on the street, are always covered up. In contrast, Ladakhi women enjoy equal status to their men, are totally self-assured and seem to do all the work.

Spiti Valley

Manali-Leh