Aong the River: Walking Through the Cultural Landscape of Nubra

Nubra is best known for its extraordinary landscape, where the bare rock of the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges appear to thrust through flat expanses of desert to create a dazzling backdrop of peaks and crags. The Shyok and Siachen Rivers meander through the valley, bringing water from the glaciers to feed oases where human settlement becomes possible. This environment is also famously punctuated by built structures such as petroglyphs, carvings in the rock face, stupas, mane (prayer) walls, shrines to protective deities, religious buildings, and other distinctively Ladakhi cultural markers. The impression of an organic fusion between the land and these features reflects the technologies and aesthetics of Nubra’s inhabitants.

This exhibition took viewers on a journey along the confluence of the Shyok and Siachen Rivers, and then, following only the right side, continued up the Siachen River. Starting at Rongdo, the river route extended through Sumoor and Panamik and across to Charasa and Mugi, ending at Wasri. Along the way, it introduced visitors to villages on either side of the river’s banks, narrating their history, stories of their inhabitants, and important locations in the landscape and built heritage. It also focused on cultural practitioners, from stupa makers to musicians, weavers and jewellers, to astrologers and traditional healers.

The exhibition is the result of a project ‘Mapping Heritage in Nubra – the Siachen Belt’, carried out by the Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO) in collaboration with the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Forum (HCHF), over two years from 2022 to 2024. The project was supported by the Eicher Group Foundation (EGF) under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding.

The project looked at listing the cultural resources in this area, covering both tangible and intangible heritage. As well as comprehending the heritage and socio-cultural context of Nubra through discussions with local representatives, religious leaders, master artisans, writers, teachers, and villagers with personal knowledge and experience. Another goal of the project was to try, as much as possible, to train young people from the area to be part of the project, conduct the research, do the GPS tracking or be involved in the visual documentation. This was to teach them skills in research and documentation as well as build their awareness about Nubra’s complex and rich culture and instill in them a sense of pride for their heritage.

The project covered 31 villages and hamlets, and at the end five publications were brought out. One was a comprehensive inventory cataloguing heritage structures in the built and natural landscape. The other four were walk booklets that covered four walks along the Siachen belt that allow individuals to explore the villages in a more engaging and sustainable way. In addition to what was covered in the inventory, the walks also included artisans, cultural practitioners and musicians amongst others. Further, signage was put up in each village with a QR code that allowed people to download the walks on their phones and follow the suggested route.

The walks guide travellers off the main roads and onto well-treaded pathways, through narrow lanes and into open fields and up mountain trails. Here, they explored the history of weather-beaten rocks inscribed with centuries old petroglyphs, shrines dedicated to protective deities, graveyards of long-forgotten traders on the ancient Trans-Karakoram routes and ruins of early settlements. The walks also took them into the more familiar monasteries and mosques, as well as community spaces and sacred waterbodies. They also narrated stories from the past, of flying hermits and demon kings, hidden lands, dwarfs and witches.

Each walk was composed and researched in consultation with local community members, and many of the researchers who worked on them were from Nubra. The idea behind this was to hear knowledgeable voices from the area, bring in stakeholders and engage with the younger generation to enable them to discover and understand Nubra’s rich heritage and the importance of safeguarding their legacy. It was also to better understand the issues, concerns and difficulties that the locals have in maintaining their cultural heritage. In this instance, it is anticipated that the publications will serve as an important tool for the community, conservators, planners, and administrators in order to better understand, conserve and oversee this heritage in the future. We thank all those who worked with us to make the research and documentation possible and remain indebted to them.

While the current documentation has been extensive it may not be complete, as some sites may have been missed while others were not approachable. Nevertheless, an effort was made to incorporate all heritage sites that are significant for the community. Much of the information gathered was oral and was written up for the first time. While there may be variances in oral accounts and dates, to the best of our knowledge, we have tried to be as accurate as possible. As memories fade and events are forgotten, this documentation will be valuable for future generations. Over the years Nubra has also changed, with old buildings being pulled down for new, concrete structures and an increasing network of roads that makes going off the beaten track so much harder. But as the past continues to integrate with the present, and you walk through this terrain, we invite you to try to imagine a different time.