20 Interesting Facts About Ladakh

There are many interesting facts about Ladakh that are lesser known to a lot of people. Here is a list of 20 of them.

1. Leh-Ladakh is called the roof of the earth. 

2. Located 3,256 meters above the sea level, Leh airport is known to be one of the highest altitude airports in the world. 

3. The Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh is the largest telescope in Asia perched at a height of over 4500 metres – a great place for astrophotographers and stargazers. Located in the remote village of Hanle, it is India’s first robotic telescope. 

4. Ladakh houses world’s highest natural ice hockey rink named as Karzoo Ice Hockey Rink. History of hockey in Ladakh dates back to the early 70’s.

5. The Lamayuru Monastery in Ladakh is known as the monastery on moon due to its dramatic location that looks like moonscapes. 

6. Zanskar valley in Ladakh is the highest white water rafting point in the world. It is located  at an altitude of 12000 feet and the temperature of the water is below 5 degrees. It is also the second toughest one in the world.

7. Located at a height of 5,602 meters above sea level, Baily Bridge in Ladakh is known to be the highest bridge in the world. 

8. Khardung La is one of the highest motorable roads in the world, located at a daunting height of 5,359 metres. 

9. Siachen Glacier, that is the guarding point of Ladakh, was the highest altitude battlefield in 1972 during Indo-Pak  war. 

10. Hemis National Park is a thriving place for most of the snow leopards in the world.

11. Ladakh is a home to 225 bird species

12. Ladakh is a land of fascinating Kung Fu Nuns.

13. Dras village in Ladakh s the coldest inhabited place in India, and the second one on earth. It’s temperature reaches as low as -45 degrees. 

14. Katpana desert in Ladakh is the highest desert in the world, located at an altitude of 2,226 metres above the sea level. 

15. Ladakh follows an interesting calendar. Their calendar has 12 months, with 30 days in each month, for two years consecutively. The third year has 13 months. There is no name to these months, only a number is assigned. They name the days of the week after the sun, moon and five visible planets. They also omit certain days from a month at times, considering them as inauspicious. 

16. Ladakh celebrates almost 30 festivals a year. 

17. The gravity-defying Magnetic Hill of Ladakh attracts a lot of curious travellers. The phenomenon can be experienced by anyone visiting the place.  

18. During winters, Zanskar river is frozen and a thick layer of ice is formed on the top.  People enjoy walking on it while still feeling the water flowing below the ice sheet. One of a kind phenomenon to experience in India.

19. Pangong Lake is the fluid border between India and China. 40% of the lake is in India and 50% lies with China, and 10% of it is a disputed land.  

20. With an altitude of 4522 meters, Tso Moriri Lake is known to have the highest agricultural fields in the world.