What to see and do:
Kargil mainly serves as an ideal base station for adventure activities like trekking, mountaineering, camping, river rafting etc. in the high Himalayan Valleys. It is also a base for taking shorter excursions to Mulbek where the chief attraction is a 9 metre high rock sculpture depicting the future Buddha. Similarly, day-long excursions can be taken to the Suru Valley to behold the gradually unfolding panorama of the Great Himalayan Range. Enroute falls the picturesque Imambara of Trespone (25 km) perched atop a hillock and reflecting a unique mix of Saracenic and Tibetan elements in its architecture and positioning. Kargil also offers some interesting walks along the river bank and up the hillside. The best among these is the one leading to Goma Kargil along a 2-km long winding road which, passing through some of the most picturesque parts of the town, presents breathtaking views of the mountainscape that unfolds as one ascends alongside and across a tumbling mountian stream. It is best taken in the afternoon as the setting sun plays its magic with the different hues and shades of the hills in view. A shorter walk involves crossing the Suru River over an old wooden bridge to reach the ancient village of Poyen and then following the banks of the Wakha upstream. A very good view of the tiered and terraced township, sweeping down the hillside across, can be had from here.
A stroll in the bazaar might lead to a shop selling flint and tobacco pouches, travelling hookahs and brass kettles - handcrafted items of everyday use which find their way into the mart as curios. Most shops deal in common consumer goods, but some specialize in trekking provisions. The showroom of the Government Industries Centre near the river bank displays and sells Pashmina shawls, local carpets and other woollen handicrafts. The apricot jam produced here serves as a rare delicacy. Kargil's dry apricot has now become a souvenir item which can be purchased freely in the bazaar.
The best time to stroll in the bazaar is the late afternoon when there is less traffic and people of all types throng it. You may even brush shoulders with one of the `Minaros' (or Brokpas), a tribe that is said to be descended from the army of Alexander of Macedonia. A strictly endogamous tribe that still practises its own ancient rites and rituals, the Brokpas are recognizable by their dress of un-dyed woollen tunic with the edge adorned with geometric designs and a hat heavily bedecked with dry flowers, rows of needles, ribbons etc.
Excursions:
Situated 45 km east of Kargil on the road to Leh, Mulbek (3230 m) is an area dominated by Bushists. It is situated along either banks of the Wakha river which originates from the Zanskar Range and drains into the Suru at Kargil. Many monuments of the early Budhist era dot the landscape and are accessible from the road.
Mulbek Chamba: The chief attraction of Mulbek is a 9-metre high rock sculpture in deep relief of Maitreya, the Future Budha. Its execution combines esoteric Shaivite symbolism with early Budhist art. Situated right on the highway, it dates back to the period when Budhist missionaries came travelling east of the Himalayas.
Mulbek Gompa: Perched atop a rocky cliff, the Mulbek Gompa (monastery) dominates the valley. It is easy to see why in bygone times this site served as an outpost to guard the caravan route. Like all Budhist monasteries it is adorned by frescoes and statues.
Shergol: Another picturesque village of the Wakha River valley, Shergol is situated across the river, right of the Kargil-Leh road. The main attraction is a cave monastery which is visible from afar as a white speck against the vertically rising ochre hill from which it appears to hang out. Below this small monastery is a larger Budhist nunnery with about a dozen incumbents. The village is accessible by a motorable road that branches off from the Kargil-Leh road, about 5 km short of Mulbek. Shergol is a convenient base for an exciting 4-day trek across the mountain range into the Suru Valley. It is also the approach base for visiting Urgyan-Dzong, a meditation retreat lying deep inside the mountains surrounding the Wakha River valley.
Urgyan Dzong: This meditation retreat lies tucked away in an amazing natural mountain fortress high up in the Zanskar Range. Concealed within is a circular table land with a small monastic establishment at its centre. The surrounding hillsides reveal several caves where high ranking Budhist saints meditated in seclusion. At least one such cave is associated with the visit of Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Tibetan Budhism. The main approach is a foot path laid through the only gap available in the rocky ramparts.
Wakha Rgyal: Tucked away inside the picturesque upper part of the Wakha Valley, upstream of Mulbek, Rgyal gives the appearance of a medieval settlement of cave dwellings transported into the modern times with some improvements and extensions. The houses, neatly white-washed and closely stacked, are dug into the sheer face of a vertical cliff that rises high above the green valley bottom. From a far the village looks like a colony of beehives hanging from the ochre granite of the cliffside. A small monastery, similarly constructed into the granite cliffside. A small monastery, similarly constructed into the granite cliffside, occupies the top of this exclusively Budhist village. Breathtaking views of undulating ochre hills crowned by rocky peaks can be had from the plateau above the village which is the terminal point of a 5-km long rough road linking Rgyal with the highway near Mulbek.
How to reach:
The J&K SRTC operates regular buses (including deluxe coaches) between Srinagar and Leh/Kargil. Cars and jeep taxis can be hired at Srinagar and Leh for Kargil. Local buses, including mini coaches, for Mulbek leave Kargil every morning and afternoon. Cars and jeep taxis can be hired at Kargil for same day return trips.
Information: Courtesy Government of India
The land available along the narrow valley as also the rising hillsides are intensively cultivated in neat terraces to grow barley, wheat, peas, a variety of vegetables and other cereals. Thick plantations of poplars and willows besides apricot, apple and mulbery trees adorn the valley bottom and the hills alike. The town alongwith the adjoining villages form a rich oasis against the backdrop of the undulating lunar mountainscape. Kargil is famous for the fine apricots grown here. In May the entire countryside becomes awash with fragrant white apricot blossoms while in August, the ripening fruit lends it an orange hue.
