PEOPLE OF LADAKH

People of Ladakh

Ladakh has always been looked up to for its simplicity and humbleness that it holds high even in its vastness. The people of Ladakh have this humbleness ingrained in them by nature. The Indian Himalayas have been known to produce kind and generous people within its valleys and peaks. The Ladhakis are therefore munificently big-hearted people with an always welcoming attitude.

The people of Ladakh are very traditional when it comes to their value system. Though touched by modernity, they still believe in the self-supporting ideology and therefore fulfil all their major needs by producing the necessary. Just as food, clothing and shelter are essential for survival of a common man, religion is fundamental to the people of Ladakh in the same way. Buddhism was brought into Ladakh during the times of Kanishka, the great emperor of the Kushana Dynasty in the 2nd century A.D. yet; major transition towards Mahayana Buddhism was brought about by the great Buddhist saint Padmasambhava in the 8th century A.D. The art of engraving on walls, wood and metal, along with handicrafts, showcases their affinity for preserving cultural values for many years to come. While songs, dances and drama possess a special place in Ladakhi heritage, in many villages story-telling for several nights is yet another part of the same. Being self-sufficient in every aspect possible, Ladakhis have their own medical system called ‘amchi’ which was discovered by the Buddha himself about 2550 years ago.

Apart from being independently efficient, people of Ladakh have been appreciated all around the world for their honesty, kindness and hospitability. Ladakh, being a land where killing an insect is considered sinful, proudly possesses people who are far away from the aberrant activities of theft and cheating. This is why tourists and travellers from various parts of the country and abroad can’t resist visiting this haven repeatedly. The subtleness with which Ladakhis treat their guests is what makes exploring Ladakh even more special.