Sonam Wangchuk, a visionary Ladakhi engineer, won a prestigious international prize for his ice stupa design in mid-November and announced two weeks later that the money would help fund a new university. His intention is that Ladakhis, at the first university to be built in their section of India, should… Continue reading…
A report in an Indian daily newspaper last week paid tribute to the storied peacefulness of Ladakh—and proceeded to castigate the local dogs for destroying it. The journalist, Ayesha Singh, wrote in the New Indian Express that “one of the most peaceful lands in the world” is marred by the… Continue reading…
“Over the past few weeks, six people have died, with hundreds injured, during the worst sectarian rioting in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in decades.” That news report opening sentence, written eight years ago about strife in Kashmir, could be repeated today except that the numbers of casualties… Continue reading…
“Over the past few weeks, six people have died, with hundreds injured, during the worst sectarian rioting in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in decades.” That news report opening sentence, written eight years ago about strife in Kashmir, could be repeated today except that the numbers of casualties… Continue reading…
Every 12 years, the most important pilgrimage of the entire Himalayan region is held at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh to celebrate the life of the 11th century Buddhist sage Naropa. The Naropa Festival, which will take place during the entire month of July this year, brings tourists from around… Continue reading…
Every 12 years, the most important pilgrimage of the entire Himalayan region is held at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh to celebrate the life of the 11th century Buddhist sage Naropa. The Naropa Festival, which will take place during the entire month of July this year, brings tourists from around… Continue reading…
Helena Norberg-Hodge, who has criticized modernization in Ladakh for many years, has termed the changes taking place there as a “development hoax.” Author of the influential book Ancient Futures, Norberg-Hodge argues that, although traditionally Ladakh has had a healthy social and cultural environment lacking in crime and poverty, the Ladakhi… Continue reading…
Helena Norberg-Hodge, who has criticized modernization in Ladakh for many years, has termed the changes taking place there as a “development hoax.” Author of the influential book Ancient Futures, Norberg-Hodge argues that, although traditionally Ladakh has had a healthy social and cultural environment lacking in crime and poverty, the Ladakhi… Continue reading…
When Sara Smith did her fieldwork in Ladakh, she frequently encountered interfaith couples who were being pressured to break up their marriages and return to their respective Buddhist or Muslim communities. However, the region was not always divided so rigidly between the different faiths. In a recent journal article, Smith… Continue reading…
Three years ago, in September 2012, two dozen Ladakhi Buddhists decided to convert to Islam, and the social relations in the area, which had been harmonious for centuries, took a severe nosedive.
