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Khalsi is a village which is 337 km from Srinigar on the old
main road to Leh, where it cross the Indus over an iron
bridge. It has much significance because it is the place where
the road from Kashmir debouches into the Indus Valley. Close
by are the remains of an old fortified customs house.There is a fragmentary inscription at Khalatse which carries
the name 'Maharaja Uvima' which is attributed to the Kushan
king, Vima Kadphises who ruled in the 1st or early 2nd century
CE.
Lha chen Naglug, a member of a dynasty of Dard kings, who
built a bridge across the Indus at the same site as the
present bridge, and the Bragnag castle on the bank of the
Indus, on the brook, about one mile (1.6 km) above the present
village, to guard the bridge. It was constructed in
competition to another bridge, the Babu Khar bridge, only
three miles (4.8 km) away, and was clearly built to raise
taxes from travellers. The castle is said to have been the
first castle constructed in the country. The ruins of the
castle and also the remains of extensive fields and
watercourses are still visible. Lha chen Naglug also construct
the palace at Wanla.
There are a number of ancient Dardic rock carvings nearby,
including one of a Dard woman carrying a basket on her back,
one of a man hunting antelopes, and some showing men with what
appear to be flat hats, all costumes similar to the Dards of
Da. In front of the ancient Dard castle at Khalatse is an
inscription in an Indian language which probably dates from
the period of Dard occupation.
The German Moravian Church Mission, which opened in Leh in
1885 had a sub-station in Khalatse which remained open for the
half a century prior to India's independence in 1947 and
played a significant role there with their educational and
medical activities, but only made a few converts.
Entering Khaltse by the road from Srinagar, it is clear one is
entering the heartland of Buddhism with its chortens or small
stupas, prayer flags and mani stones. Upstream from Khalatse,
and downstream on the right bank of the Indus, the people are
almost all Buddhist. The ones downstream are mostly Brokpa or
Dards. Khalatse is also well-known for its apricots.
Because Khalatse is about 400 metres lower than Leh, two crops
can be grown each year rather than only one. By the time crops
are being sown at Leh in late May, they are already half-grown
at Khalatse. The first crop - usually of grim from which
tsampa, the staple food in Ladakh, is made is usually
harvested by mid-July and then other crops such as buckwheat,
turnips and other vegetables are planted. |
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