Kargil (2740m), 204
km from Srinagar, is the second
largest town of Ladakh.
It is also the headquarters of our
destination, the district of Kargil. A quiet town today Kargil
was once witness to the most hectic bartering among traders of
different faiths and nationalities. Hundreds of caravans
carrying silks, ivory, carpets and precious stones to and from
China, Turkey, Yarkand, Afghanistan and India, passed through
the town. Several caravanserais, now rendered dangerous due to
years of disuse, can be seen in and around Kargil. Substitute
travellers for traders and Kargil's position as a resting
place remains unaltered. Tourists to Leh by road make a night
halt at Kargil before starting on the second leg of the
journey.
Kargil town lies in the lower Suru basin. Two other rivers
that meet here are Drass and Wakha Chu. Visible all around are
lush green fields of barley and wheat, vegetable beds and rows
of poplars and willows. Kargil is famous for its apricots and
mulberries. June presents a rare sight of fragrant white
apricot blossoms while in August, the ripening fruit lends the
countryside an orange hue.
Getting There:
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 leaves Kagil every morning and afternoon.
Cars and Jeep taxis can be hired at Kargil for same day return
trips. Srinagar is connected properly with rest ofg the
country through Air and Road network.
Tourist Attractions:
Mulbek Gompa:
The chief attraction of Mulbek is a 9 m high rock sculpture in
deep relief of Maitreya, the Future Buddha. Its excursion
combines esoteric Shaivite symbolism with early Buddhist art.
Situated right on the highway, it dates back to the period
when Buddhists missionaries came travelling east of the
Himalayas.
Perched atop a rocky cliff, 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
Buddhists 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
a far as a white speck against the vertically rising ochre
hill from which it appears to hang out. Below this small
monastery is a larger Buddhist nunnery with about a dozen
incumbents. The village is accessible by the 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.
How
to Reach ?
By Road
Regular buses are available from Kargil and the state road
transport of Jammu and Kashmir offers bus services that ply
between Srinagar and Kargil and some local buses like the mini
coaches also opens another options for travel. Moreover, to
reach Kargil one can take cars or jeeps for road
transportation.
By Air
To reach Kargil, one has to pass through Srinagar. The
nearest airports of Kargil are the Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee
Airport at Leh and Sheikh ul Alam Airport commonly known as
Srinagar Airport, an international airport in Srinagar in
Jammu and Kashmir. From these airports airways are available
to reach Kargil.
Kargil is a land where hotels are available according to the
pocket of the tourists. Apart from hotels, the travellers can
stay in the tourist bungalows. On the other hand circuit
houses also make excellent accommodation options. These
accommodations offer basic medical, communicational and
banking facilities to the tourists. Most preferable time to
visit Kargil is summer as the winter
Kargil has a different appeal which lies in the vicinity and
the snowy and hilly surroundings. The snow that envelops the
land also has another beauty that is witnessed during summer
when the land with the sun beams brings back the spectacular
grandeur of the land.
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