Kargil or Kargyil is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the joint capital of Ladakh, an Indian-administered union territory. It is also the headquarters of the Kargil district. It is the second-largest city in Ladakh
Kargil is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the joint capital of Ladakh, an Indian-administered union territory. It is also the headquarters of the Kargil District It is the second-largest city in Ladakh after Leh Kargil is located 204 kilometers (127 mi) east of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, and 234 kilometers (145 mi) to the west of Leh. It is on the bank of the Suru river near its confluence with the Wakha Rong river, the latter providing the most accessible route to Leh.
The Kargil basin does give the feel of an expanse surrounded by low-pitched mountains, with the low Khurbathang plateau at the southeastern corner. This is in sharp contrast to the deep gorges that give access to the valley.
Kargil is located at the confluence of multiple river valleys: the Suru River valley to the north and south, the Wakha Rong valley to the southeast leading to Leh, and the Sod valley to the east leading to the Indus Valley near Batalik. In addition, at a short distance to the north, the Dra’s valley branches off from the Suru valley leading to the Zoji La pass and Kashmir. Further north along the Suru valley, one reaches the Indus valley, leading to Skardu. Thus, Kargil is located at a key junction of routes between Kashmir, Ladakh and Baltistan.
1. Kargil Gompa & Buddhist Monastery
The Monastery has large prayer wheels and view en route the cliff monastery are stunning. Rgaldan-se Gompa, established by Tungba who is also known as Agu Tungba, was renovated in 2016. Nyima Lhakhang temple was built around 800 years ago in the oldest section of the Mulbekh Monastery by the students of the great Tibetan scholar Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo,
2. The Lamayuru Monastery
Lamayuru is a temple called Seng-ge sang, at the southern end of the Lamayuru rock, which is attributed to the famous builder-monk Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055 CE). Rinchen Zangpo was charged by the king of Ladakh to build 108 gompas, and certainly many gompas in Ladakh, Spiti Valley and the surrounding regions, dating from his time.
3. Kargil War Memorial
The Kargil War Memorial, also known as Dras War Memorial, is a war memorial built by the Indian Army in the town of Dras, near Kargil city in Kargil district of Ladakh, India, commemorating the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan.
4. Thiksey Monastery
Thiksey Monastery or Thiksey Gompa is a Buddhist monastery affiliated with the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located on top of a hill in Thiksey approximately 19 kilometers east of Leh, in the Ladakh region of northern India The monastery is located at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,800 ft.) in the Indus Valley. It is a twelve-story complex and houses many items of Buddhist art such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords.
5. Suru Valley
The Suru Valley is a valley in the Kargil District in the Union Territory of Ladakh, India. It is drained by the Suru River, a tributary of the Indus River. The valley’s most significant town is Sankoo. Horses, yaks and other animals can be found in the valley.
6. Nubra Valley
Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Leh district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name Dumra means “valley of flowers.
7. Khardung La
Khardung La or Khardung Pass is a mountain pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The pass is on the Ladakh Range, north of Leh, and connects the Indus river valley and the Shyok river valley. Khardong La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian Camel can still be seen at Hunder, in the area north of the pass.
8. Magnetic Hill
Magnet Hill is a gravity hill located near Leh in Ladakh, India. The layout of the area and surrounding slopes create the optical illusion of a hill. The hill road is a downhill road. Objects and cars on the hill road may appear to roll uphill in defiance of gravity when they are in rolling downhill.
9. Sani Monastery
Sani Monastery, Sa-ni-[tshog], is located next to the village of Sani where the Stood Valley broadens into the central plain of Zanskar in Ladakh, northern India. It is about 6 km to the northwest of the regional center of Padum, a gentle two-hour walk.
10. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
High-altitude outpost connected to a Sikh religious legend, with mountain views & refreshments.
