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Nubra Valley – The Land of Orchards, Bactrian Camels and Monasteries

When it comes to natural beauty, India has ample amount of beautiful places. Right from Srinagar to Kanya Kumari, there are innumerable places that are visited by foreigners as well as Indians. No wonder, the Taj Mahal is one of the six wonders of the world. India also has some great valleys which are really beautiful.

Nubra Valley – Land of Orchards, Scenic Vistas, Bactrian Camels and Monasteries

One such place you about which many of you might not have heard of is the Nubra Valley. Nubra is actually a tri-armed valley and is located to the north east side of the Ladakh valley. The capital of Nubra, Diskit is approximately 150 km north from Leh town. Leh is the capital of Ladakh district in India.

Nubra Valley

It is believed that Nubra Valley’s original name was Ldumra which means the valley of flowers. In this post let’s get to know more about this stunningly beautiful valley.

How to reach Nubra Valley

Firstly, talking about the geography, the Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River and forms  a large valley which separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges.

Leh to Nubra Valley

The Shyok River can be called as a tributary of the Indus River. The altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. (average) i.e., about 3048 metres above the sea level. To visit the Nubra valley the best way is to travel over the Khardung La pass from the Leh town.

Entry in Nubra Valley

Protected area permit is required for foreign tourists to visit the Nubra Valley. Earlier Indian nationals were not required a protected area permit. However, since 1 April 2017 Indian nationals are also required to get an Inner Line Permit to visit the valley.

The Diskit town

The Diskit town in the Nubra valley has become a congregation centre for people of this region.  Diskit is the headquarters of the Nubra Valley. Hence it has many government offices with basic facilities.

Maitreya Buddha Statue, Diskit Monastery, Nubra Valley

The Diskit town in the Nubra Valley is also connected to Leh by road. There is a 32 metre Maitreya Buddha statue; which is the landmark of Nubra Valley. It is maintained by the Diskit Monastery.

Villages in Nubra Valley

The villages of Sumur, Kyagar (called Tiger by the Indian Army), Panamik, Tirith, Turtuk and many others lie along the Nubra or Siachan river. Between the Kyagar and Sumur villages like the Samstanling monastery. Panamik village is known for its hot springs. The isolated Ensa Gompa lies across the Nubra or Siachan River at Panamik.

Nubra Valley Camel Ride

On the Shyok river (which is pronounced Shayok), Diskit, the main village, is home to the dramatically positioned Diskit Monastery . This was built in 1420 AD. In the 17th century, Hundar was the capital of the erstwhile Nubra kingdom. Now it is the home to the Chamba Gompa. Several kilometers of sand dunes are present between Hundar and Diskit. Also it is known that two-humped bactrian camels graze in the neighboring “forests” of sea buckthorn.

Baigdandu Village

Additionally, it should be noted that non-locals are not allowed below Hundar village. As it falls into the Balti area, which is a border area. Baigdandu, the beautiful village is also located in this area. It is quite amazing how this place is  marked with  presence of people with startling blue eyes. They also have auburn hair and rosy cheeks as compared to the typical mongoloid features of the Ladakhis. It is believed that they were a Greek tribe who actually came here in search of Jesus Christ’s tomb but eventually settled here. Baigdandu is also very well known for the goats that give us the famous Pashmina shawls.

After reading about the Nubra valley, you might want to visit it. But make sure you get a permit before you actually visit the place. None the less, it would be one the most memorable trips you would have.

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About Anirudh Singh

Anirudh Singh is a passionate blogger and the man behind Amazing India Blog. He has 5 years of experience in the newspaper industry and he founded Amazing India Blog in 2015. Apart from writing and editing articles on Travel, Business and Technology at Amazing India Blog, he also contributes to other well known newspapers and online news blogs.