WHERE IS ZANSKAR

ZANSKAR is a sub-district of the Kargil district & lies southwards of Kargil on the eastern side of Jammu & Kashmir. PADUM is the administrative centre of ZANSKAR.  It is connected to the rest of India through a single road route of 240 kms from PADUM to KARGIL which remains open for about 5-6 months during the year.

GEOGRAPHY

ZANSKAR VALLEY is about 7,000 sq.km in area & at an altitude ranging from 11,500 – 23,409 feet.  The road to ZANSKAR is divided into two valleys, namely the SURU valley & the ZANKSAR valley. The 152 kms stretch from KARGIL to PENZI LA pass is called as the SURU valley, while the valley after the descend from PENZI LA to PADUM is called as the ZANSKAR valley. ZANKSAR river originates from two sources. The first one is DODA river which originates from PENZI LA (14,000 feet) mountain pass and flows south eastwards through the valley to PADUM, the administrative centre of ZANSKAR.

The second branch is called as LUNGNAK river (also known as LINGTI / TSARAP river) formed at PURNE village from two tributaries. One of the tributary known as KARGYAG river originates at SHINGO LA (16,703 feet) pass & the other tributary known as the TSARAP river originates at BARALACHA LA. Both these tributaries meet at PURNE village to form the LUNGNAK river, which then flows north westwards along a narrow gorge towards ZANSKAR CENTRAL VALLEY, where it meets the DODA RIVER at PADUM to form the ZANSKAR river. The ZANSKAR river flows in the North Eastern direction through a narrow gorge surrounded by towering mountains to join the Indus river at NIMMU.

In the North East direction of ZANSKAR likes the ZANSKAR mountain range which separates the ZANSKAR valley from LADAKH & on the South West side lies the great HIMALAYAN range