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Rangdum
The farthest and the most
isolated part of the Suru Valley, Rangdum is an elliptical expanded plateau
surrounded by colourful hills on the one side and glacier encrusted rocky
mountains on the other. Situated 130 kms South- east of Kargil, it falls
midway between Kargil and Padum. Due to its remoteness from inhabited parts
either of Suru or Zanskar, the areas wild beauty is almost haunting, while
its isolation is near perfect even as the unpaved Zanskar road traverses
its length.
The chief attraction of this
area is an imposing 18th century Buddhist monastery with about 40 monks
in residence. Perched picturesquely atop a centrally rising hillock which
is entrenched around by the bifurcated course of a wild mountain stream,
the Rangdum monastery has the aura of an ancient fortification guarding
a mystical mountain valley. The villagers are descendents of the monastery's
agricultural, serf-tenants, who do not own any land in the region. The
monastery enjoys perpetual and unalienable ownership of the entire valley
including the fields tilled by the villagers, the pastures, hills and even
the streams. Rangdum also serves as an important trekking base. The most
popular trek from here leads to Henaskut near Lamayuru, across the spectacular
gorge of the kanji valley. This 5-day trek also forms the last leg of the
two week long trans-Himalayan traverse between Kashmir and Ladakh.
How to reach ?
Sankoo, Panikhar and Parachik
are connected with Kargil with regular bus services, in summer even twice
a day. A bus ride from Kargil takes 2 hours to Sankoo, 3 hours to Panikhar
and about 4 hours to Parkachik. Rangdum is serviced by the BI-week bus
service to Padum, which increases according to demand. Some trucks plying
between Kargil and Padum also offers a lift in the cabin for the price
of a bus seat. Cars and jeeps taxis can be hired from Kargil for visiting
different places in the Suru Valley, including Rangdum and Penzila.
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