God s own lake: Pangong Tso

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1 God s own lake: Pangong Tso The landlocked sea, Pangong Tso is located at 14,270 ft and shares its water between India and China. You broke my record for the longest time stayed in Pangong, my guide driver Mussa told me. I stared at him in disbelief. Given that we only sauntered in a couple of hours earlier, and spent most of it sitting by the lake admiring its beauty, I did not think it was record breaking time anybody would have spent in that electric blue beauty of a lake. But then Mussa could be right just as well. The spectrum of tourists visiting Pangong these days is revealing of Mussa s claim. There are an overwhelming number of families, travelling in tour packages, and the occasional old couple among the package tour crowd. Of course there are packs of youngsters and some loners as well. Tourists overrun Pangong Tso ever since the movie 3 Idiots was shot here

2 Pangong s become very popular after the release of the Bollywood movie, Three Idiots, Mussa says. But Mussa has been in the business long enough to make that statement. He says Pangong only attracted foreign tourists, maybe the occasional adventure-seeker Indian tourist before the Bollywood blockbuster catapulted the lake into superstardom. Now, as it seems, tourists visiting Leh have it on their must-visit places list even though many of them take the often arduous, 5 hour journey from Leh only to spend less than an hour. Earlier, towards the end of my 5-hour drive in his Toyota Qualis, Mussa pointed out to what looked like a piece of a giant, bright blue frisbee disk abandoned on the ground and told me we were very close to reaching Pangong. We were still on a mountain road, bordered by a dry river bed on one side. Pangong Tso used to be here at one point in time, Mussa told me. Apparently, the lake was even bigger and was reduced to a size of 350 kms as it stands now, divided between India and China. The landlocked sea, as advertised by the J&K tourism department, Pangong Tso is located at 14,270 ft and shares its water between India and China. The lake s water is brackish like seawater but with the characteristic mountain chillness; it freezes during winter lock, stock and barrel. You drive about 5 hours to reach Pangong from Leh town after obtaining necessary inner line permit. The journey is best started as early in the morning as possible; as in our case at 6.30 a.m. Some stretches of the road are neatly done, while some potholed since they are eroded from overuse or extreme weather. At some distance, there are not even signs that roads existed and you are left to deal with ruthless boulders that threaten to displace your bones. The barren mountain wilderness is punctuated with life throughout the distance. A monastery is tucked away from the main road on a hillock and stands demurely in the midst of

3 groves of bushes and trees. You spot houses scattered in small hamlets, their terraces thick with a layer of green grass, saved for the long and harsh winter, for their animals. As you make inroads, the landscape changes from dry khaki mountains with a hint of greenery to lush valleys with abundance of vegetation. Pashmina goats On your way, you see hordes of Pashmina goats being taken for grazing. They amble along in a group with their creamy white coats forming a sort of Milky Way against the green grasslands. You also spot the Himalayan marmot a mongoose like furry creature that basks in the sun quite unafraid of the human presence. Despite the warning signs, the tourists feed the marmot and the animals have already become fearless, snatching biscuits and other eatables from the tourists. You will also spot red/yellow billed chough, red-legged partridges (called chakor in the local language) and yaks.

4 As you reach Pangong Tso, the first thing that strikes you is the sheer splendour of colours the lake shimmers in. The colours you could immediately bring to mind are electric blue, turquoise and blue green. You feel the rustle of the air in your ears as you walk along the banks and when you walk the opposite direction of the wind s speed, the breeze is more of a thrumming. The lake s luminiscence in blue Pangong is a blue green expanse of saline water body that expands as far as your eye reaches. On a sunny day, the lake glimmers in its glory with subtle undulating waters. A flock of Brahmini ducks will leap into the water, mildly distracting you from drinking in the beauty of the lake. Bar-headed geese fly across catching the turquoise blue reflection of the lake s water in their grey bellies. Despite the fact that there is no reported aquatic life in Pangong, these birds are seen in abundance. If you are lucky, you will spot other

5 migratory birds since Pangong is a breeding ground for many birds. The mountains, nothing more than giant sand dunes, huddle together to form the lake s boundary in all directions. As you sit by the lake, ignoring the pitter patter of tourists, gazing at the deep blue beauty, picking stones aimlessly and tossing them into the water and watching them jump across, you feel solitude is the best feeling in the world. Uniformed army men stand at every blind corner of the rocky mountain road, toting their guns at strategic locations, watching over for enemy intrusions, under a blazing sun. I ramble for a while, hunt for a secluded part of the lake and sit on the banks to enjoy the lake s beauty in solitude. Soon enough, I become a subject of many photographs; of camera toting tourists, ignorant of my askance. A lone idler, sitting in a picturesque place, makes for a stunning frame I was told. I reluctantly peel myself off and walk back to our vehicle, not before taking a few pictures myself. Yes, I wanted to lay claim to the fact that I visited one of the most beautiful lakes on planet earth.

6 The ubiquitous khaki hills casting reflection on Pangong