Turtuk a must visit place......

     A small beautiful village situated on the banks of Shyok river .  It's at Nubra valley and  Baltistan(Pakistan) on the other side. Earlier the village was  in Pakistan, it's part of our country after  1971 war. 

    While time has not touched the exquisiteness of this place, the friendly nature of its residents is hard to miss. Turtuk has a history as colorful as the apricot plantations one sees all around the region. therefore, it is an amalgamation of all the cultures that have lived here. Turtuk boasts of a predominantly Muslim population, and the influence of its history can be seen in the local dialect. Here, the primary languages include Ladakhi, Urdu, and Balti. Balti is an amalgamation of Persian and old Tibetan. Of course, old Tibetan they hardly use in recent times, and the language is melodic.Turtuk in Balti literally means “a desire to stay” – which perfectly describes the people here. And no matter what, their love for Turtuk has endured everything. Turtuk in Balti literally means “a desire to stay” – which perfectly describes the people here. And no matter what, their love for Turtuk has endured everything . 

    

     Turtuk is lower than other places in high-altitude Ladakh, set at a mere 2,900m. At this elevation, summers can be extremely hot, and the villagers have made use of their rock surroundings to build natural stone-cooling storage systems, used for storing meat, butter and other perishables during the warm months. Known as 'nangchung' in Balti, which means 'cold house', these stone bunkers are designed to have gaps that allow cold air flow to pass through, keeping the goods cooler than the outside air temperature. 

   

     While barley is the region's staple crop, since it's one of the only grains that grows at altitude, Turtuk's relatively lower elevation also allows the Baltis to plant buckwheat. Residents also grow a large proportion of India's apricots and walnuts, for which the village is famed. The work is labour intensive, and throughout the year the village is a patchwork quilt of planted or harvested fields. It's an oasis of green in contrast to the barren and brown walls of the Karakorams and river valley.

   Despite the fact that India and Pakistan are still at odds over Kashmir, life goes on peacefully in Turtuk. Villagers were all issued Indian identity cards and made citizens after the takeover in 1971, and recent efforts to modernise the Nubra Valley, from better roads, health services and transportation, as well as the recent tour-ism boom, have meant more prosperous times for Turtuk. However, it doesn't feel much like India here. The apricot orchards, Noorbakshia mosques, stone homes and irrigation channels - as well as traditional Balti dishes like kisir (buckwheat bread) topped with yak meat or served with muskat, an apricot and walnut paste; and balay, a soup with large buckwheat noodles - keeps the village culturally faithful to its Balti roots. 

     While the Ladakhi villages in the rest of the Nubra Valley also make use of the rock, their creations are nowhere as elaborate and painstakingly built as in Turtuk, and even in a region of earthquakes and landslides, the Balti stone walls stand proud and defiant. .

     We would add Turtuk to Ladakh tours  on request. Stay in touch with us for exploring such wonderful places. 

                        Turtuk  village 

Rajendra Khadpe 

Kaustubh Travels 

9987239082