While Ladakh has some of the world’s richest heritage sites, attracting tourists from across the world, it figures nowhere on the radar of the J&K Government’s own Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums.

Of the 27 sites listed as protected by the Directorate, not a single one is from Ladakh. Thirteen are from Kashmir and 14 from the Jammu region.

An arid desert situated at a height of 3000-5000 metres above the sea level, Ladakh is perhaps one of the highest inhabited places on earth where Buddhism is still practised in its pristine purity. For centuries it has also been at the crossroads of trans-Asian trade.

So its cultural heritage is unique — a blend of Tibetan culture, indigenous traditions and influences from the ancient Buddhist regions of Kashmir and Central Asia.

“It is strange that despite Ladakh having such a rich heritage with its monasteries, sculptures, thangkas, wall paintings and mani walls, the state Government has never bothered to include any site in Ladakh in its list of protected structures. The talk of equitable treatment to all the three regions of the state is phoney. The fact at the ground level is that while the state government has ignored the protection and conservation of Ladakh’s heritage, the ASI, NGOs from foreign countries and local NGOs have done a commendable job in preserving its cultural, religious and architectural heritage,” said Tsering Dorjay, chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

He noted that Ladakh’s heritage was facing a threat from changing climatic patterns and the pressures of development and tourism, and that the need of the hour was for the state Government to come forward in a major way to complement the work of NGOs and ASI.

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