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A Photo Essay of Spatial Weaves from Leh Market Area

Written and photographed by Rinchen Angmo

The pictures in this photo essay could possibly depict the myriad microcosms inhabited by different beings within the world of Leh Main Market area. Since I hadn’t taken these with the intention of later turning them into a photo essay, would it perhaps be okay to say that there is a somewhat natural element to the pictures’ composition? A somewhat natural element that wouldn’t have been captured if not for the mobility facilitated by new media.

   Two boys, one on roller skates and the other one with a skateboard .

Anyone who has been to Leh Main Market will know that the little kids who live in the area make the market their playground: playing football, cycling, skateboarding and roller skating. Skateboarding has really taken off in Leh. In a span of a few years, I have noticed an increasing number of skateboarders. This year, I also spotted many roller-skaters; could this be a convenient way to keep ice-skating skills intact? In Ladakh, during the winters, all water bodies get completely frozen: forming natural ice skating arenas. Hence, many take to the winter sport; however, since ice-skates are expensive, not many can afford the sport.

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I, a mountain flaneur

A personal essay by Sonam C

On my way

There are times when I feel that I do not have a right to speak about my valley. After all, I have half a parentage from there. Since childhood, my sister and I have constantly juggled between identities that our multi-ethnic selves reflected in our facial features and body languages. If the places in which we lived commented on our not-so mainlandish features, our hometowns considered us the opposite. We looked quite different even from them. As the looks would always be an issue, I guess my family members tried looking at it from a different perspective. Instead of eyes, they would comment on how my hair resembled my aane’s. Instead of the tone of the skin, they would tell me that I behaved exactly like a Lahauli. Although I used to take these matters seriously, it’s only on reflection that I realize these were rueful complements to make me feel a part of the family, of the larger community.

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The love-hate relationship between Himachal and the monsoon.

Written by Drishti.

A stream that arose from a groundwater source from a hill near Garloni village. Photograph by Drishti.

It’s been fourteen days since that night when I witnessed the fields of my grandmother turn into debris. The lush green plants that used to crown those fields have now disappeared. What remains now are uprooted plants merged with soil and water flowing over them. The groundwater, surging from an overcharged aquifer, displayed a relentless determination to escape onto the Earth’s surface, washing the fields away. The night of 13th August 2023 will remain unforgettable. The fear of the unknown robbed me of sleep and caused my heart to pound. At the crack of dawn, I came out to check on the aftermath of the night. In front of my eyes lay the remains of the hard work of my guardians. Many emotions coursed through me, but the prevailing feeling was that of thankfulness for our survival. This incident had occurred when I was at my grandparents’ house near Garloni, which is about 4 km from Rewalsar town. Our phones were out of network for two days, and there was no electricity. Amid the rain, it was challenging to go out and find a spot with good network. But the urge to talk to my parents and loved ones kept me going out frequently. An old radio of my grandfather’s found a purpose after years of neglect; the news bulletin informed us that the situation in other places was much worse.

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A book review of ‘Tibetan Caravans’ by Abdul Wahid Radhu.

Written by Rinchen Angmo.

‘Tibetan Caravans’ is a book by Abdul Wahid Radhu le from Ladakh. Reading Wahid le’s book made me realize the importance of recording one’s life accounts for future generations. Since ‘History’ is often manipulated by various powers, individual stories become increasingly important. After all, it is through these individual stories that one gets a glimpse into a world that would otherwise have been forgotten, fabricated or made foreign.

Wahid le’s book assumes great significance in terms of documenting the waning days of trans-Himalayan trade as well as eye-witness accounts of the systemic attempt of the destruction of Tibetan culture and Tibetan Buddhism by the Communist Party of China in its early days of occupation. Moreover, it provides a glimpse of life in the trans-Himalayas before ‘modernization’ reached its doors.

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Guru Rinpoche’s Lake.

-Written by Rinchen Angmo

It’s been more than a year. Last year around March, I made a pilgrimage to Tso Pema, tso meaning lake and pema meaning lotus; I will refer to the holy lake as Tso. Tso Pema is located in Rewalsar, Himachal Pradesh, India. For followers of Vajrayana Buddhism, Tso is a very holy site associated with Guru Rinpoche.

How do I describe the serenity of Tso? There is a sense of blessedness at Tso that escapes description. The jade green lake, the deep green trees and the pilgrims circumambulating around the holy lake, fill the air with a sense of serene jubilation.

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Climate change in the trans-Himalayas.

Written by Rinchen Angmo on 5th June 2023.

World environment day. I don’t know about the world, but climate change sure feels all too real in Ladakh. Those from other trans-Himalayan regions too seem to be finding this summer cooler than usual. We held a public poll on our Rewa Sum story asking whether ‘Trans-Himalayan summer feels cooler than usual?’ this year and the above picture demonstrates what the 18 respondents had to say. Besides everyone in Ladakh seems to be talking about how unusually cool this summer is. A fact highlighted by the inconsistent opening and closing of mountain passes in the region. 

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Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

written by Rinchen Angmo

It is very disturbing to witness how manipulative media houses and ignorant people have the audacity to try defame His Holiness the Dalia Lama who has dedicated every moment of his life for the well being of sentient beings. It is to challenge this audacity that I feel compelled to write this. For too long we have let hegemonic forces spew venom, it’s high time we put an end to contrived narratives that deliberately spread hate. 

Before I proceed I want to put forth some questions: Do you know what enlightenment means? Do you understand Buddhism? Do you understand the practices of Tibetan Buddhism? Do you understand what it means to perceive reality beyond duality? Do you understand what blessings mean? Do you understand the real meaning of compassion? Do you understand Tibetan culture? Do you understand that when one prostrates before statues it symbolizes the offering of body, speech and mind? Do understand the symbolic meaning of offering body, speech and mind? Do you understand the meaning of emptiness? Do you understand what it means to dedicate not just one, but several lifetimes for the well-being of other sentient beings?

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New age Kinnauri weddings

-written by Karma Negi

Marriage is one of the most important institutions of any civilisation. It acts as the base of many societies. Various societies have their own rituals and customs for marriage.

And over time, the rituals and customs have evolved. In the old days, Kinnauri weddings used to happen for 4 days. But due to time constraints and other unknown reasons, marriages have now become just a 2 day event.

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Ladakh, 6th Schedule and The Third Pole: What happens when glaciers melt away?

Written by Rinchen Angmo

The third pole derives its name from the fact that it contains the largest reserve of freshwater after the North and South Pole. The glaciers of the third pole feed some of the major rivers of Asia including Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mekong, Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers (Banskota 64). Can we really not talk about the fate of regions that form the third pole when it is the source of the ‘10 major river systems that provide irrigation, power and drinking water to over 1.9 billion people in Asia – over 24 % of the world’s population’? (thetthirdpole.net). When we see these figures, we must bear in mind that behind each number is an individual life, be it of a human or an animal. The magnitude of suffering that the imminent climate crisis can cause is beyond our imagination.

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Remembering Adhe Tapontsang la: ‘ The Voice that Remembers’.

-Rinchen Angmo

‘The Voice that Remembers’ is a book by the late Adhe Tapontsang la as told to Joy Blakeslee. Adhe la’s account of how the Communist Party of China forcefully occupied Tibet, is eye opening to say the least. Like many Tibetans, Adhe la stood against Chinese occupation and participated in the freedom struggles waged in Kham (in eastern Tibet). Consequently, she was imprisoned for 27 years. Throughout those 27 years she was subjected to physical, sexual and mental abuse by prison officials under the Communist Party of China. Through her book, she recounts not only her own struggles, but also that of millions of Tibetans who perished under the Communist Party of China. Unfortunately, this brutal occupation continues till date and even as we speak many Tibetan political prisoners continue to face inexplicable tortures in the Communist Party of China’s prisons.

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The disappearance of Buchen from Hangrang valley, upper Kinnaur

By Karma Negi

I still remember the times when the arrival of Buchen to our village was an annual event. Every year they would appear in the winter months, when all the villagers were done with their farm work and were about to go into resting mode, and then after days of performances, Buchen would disappear for the rest of the year. I remember the Buchen who would go to different villages one after another spreading religious knowledge in dramatic and witty ways.

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No displacement. Period.

Written by Rinchen Angmo

On 28th November 2022, The Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh Revenue Department released a document : ‘Inviting objections from the general public to the draft “The Union territory of Ladakh Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Social Impact Assesment and Consent) Rules, 2022.

I have many objections. The first being, despite being guaranteed the Sixth Schedule by the Constitution of this country as a region comprised of 97% members belonging to the Scheduled Tribe, we have so far heard nothing about our land safeguards. Instead here we are having to look at schemes that are opening doors for land acquisition instead. Slow claps.

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Kache community of Tibet

By Sonam Chhomo

Image source: Siddiq Wahid, Tibetan Muslims in Tibet, 2022, accessed via https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/muslims-tradition-01142022181835.html

Tibetan Muslims were known as the Kache community in Tibet wherein Kache is a word derived from Kashmir. Kache community come from Kashmiri or Turkic descent through patrilineal lineage. They married Tibetan women when they settled in Tibet which later formed the genesis of intercultural religiosity of the Kache community. According to David Atwill, in the pre-twentieth century context of Tibet, Kache in Tibetan could simply refer to those who practiced Islam without a necessary ethnic affliliation.

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Spiti and election

Kibber , Spiti(2020)

Written by-Nawang Chhoetso


Himachal Pradesh will be casting its vote for the general election of the state assembly this month. I have very little and narrow knowledge regarding the working of election on the ground.
Whatever I know regarding it is what I learnt in school and books. We are taught that India is a democratic republic, which meant that people exercising their right to vote will choose their representatives. But it took me years to understand the depth of it. The right to vote is an extraordinary power granted by our constitution. This power was first exercised by eligible voters of India in the election to the first general assembly but it took few more years for people in Spiti to exercise this right. i.e. in the year 1956 in the elections to second general assembly.

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