Kargil
Tourism
KARGIL
(2704 m), 204 kms from Srinagar in the west and 234 kms from Leh in the east,
is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh and headquarters of the district
of same name. A quite town now, Kargil once served as important trade and transit
centre in the Pan-Asian trade network. Numerous caravans carrying exotic merchandise
comprising silk, brocade, carpets, felts, tea, poppy, ivory etc. transited in
the town on their way to and from China, Tibet, Yarkand and Kashmir.
The old bazaar displayed a variety of Central Asian and Tibetan commodities
even after the cessation of the Central Asian trade in 1949 till these were
exhausted about two decades back. Similarly the ancient trade route passing
through the township was lined with several caravanserais. Now, since 1975,
travellers of numerous nationalities have replaced traders of the past and Kargil
has regained its importance as a centre of travel-related activities.
Being
located in the centre of the Himalayan region with tremendous potentials for
adventure activities, Kargil serves as an important base for adventure tours
in the heart of Himalayas. It is also the take off station for visitors to the
erotic Zanskar Valley. Tourists travelling between Srinagar and Leh have to
make a night halt here before starting the second leg of their journey.
The town lies nestling along the rising hillside of the lower Suru basin. Two
tributaries of the Suru River that meet here are the Drass and Wakha. The land
available along the narrow valley as also the rising hillsides are intensively
cultivated in neat terraces to glow barley, wheat, peas, a variety of vegetables
and other cereals. Kargil is famous for the fine apricots grown here. In May
the entire countryside becomes awash with fragrant white apricot blossoms while
August, the ripening fruit lends it an orange hue.
Kargil
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