Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India

Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India

Subject : Environment

Section :Places in news

About Cold Desert Cultural Landscape:

• The Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India is situated in the Himalayas and stretches from Ladakh (J&K) in the north to Kinnaur (H.P.) in the south.
• The region constitutes a Cold Desert biome with harsh climatic conditions, which can be attributed to two factors.
  • One is its location on the leeward side of the Himalayas, which makes it a rain-shadow zone inaccessible to the annual south eastern monsoon winds that sweep the rest of the country, thus creating desert conditions with low levels of precipitation.
  • Second is its very high elevation (ranging from 3000 – 5000m ASL) that adds to the coldness in its environment.
• A huge seasonal variation is seen in the climatic conditions, ranging from short and dry summers with harsh sunlight (max temperature reaching upto 36˚C during the day) to long, windy and freezing winters (min temperature touching -32˚C at night). Blizzards, snowstorms and avalanches are common.
• The soil is not very fertile and the climatic conditions allow very short growing seasons making it a bare landscape. Water resources are minimal and comprise glacier-fed streams.
• The settlements are small, isolated, sparsely populated and their planning a testament to the harsh terrain and environment. The population belongs predominantly to the Indo-Mongoloid (Tibetan) race with some parts of western Ladakh occupied by the Dards, who are intermediaries of Ladakhis and Baltis of the neighbouring Baltistan in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
• Two distinct regions of human habitation and culture can be distinguished within this cold desert, namely (1) the Leh-Kargil areas of Ladakh (J&K) and (2) Spiti Valley (H.P.).
• Historical background of Ladakh
  • Ladakh (‘land of the passes’) is one of the most elevated (2,900 m to 5,900 m msl), and coldest regions (from -30°C to -70°C) of the earth.
  • Its topography is barren and population sparse inhabited along the river banks of different valleys namely Indus, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Suru.
  • The mean annual precipitation is less than 50 mm, received mostly in the form of snowfall during winters.
  • The region faces fast blowing winds 40-60 km/hrmainly in the afternoon hours.
  • The soil moisture remains frozen during winters and with low relative humidity during the summer months.
  • Despite such inhospitable conditions for survival, it is postulated that Ladakh has been occupied by humans since pre-historic times, as evidenced in the discovery of Lower Palaeolithic tools, Petroglyphs and other pre-historic art works that mark the beginning of man’s interaction with this cold desert landscape.
• Historical background of Spiti
  • Spiti, is known as the ‘middle country’ that lies between Tibet and India.
  • Throughout history, it kept changing hands among the various kingdoms of Tibet, Ladakh, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Kullu. Subjugated to successive attacks and influences, many a times the rulers had to pay attributes to one another to keep peace in the region.
  • The archaeological records substantiate that the original inhabitants in these regions were also pastoral nomads who braved harsh climatic conditions of all sorts. For protection, they defied the natural forces and elements, and began to worship them. It is believed that this is how the Naga Cult (cult of snake worship) and others came into existence that revolve around the worship of natural features as tree, rivers, sun, moon et al.
  • The river Spiti originates at the base of the Kunzam range and flows eastward to join the Sutlej at Khab in Kinnaur.
  • The inhabitants are largely dependent on agriculture, wild resources such as Droh, Gandam (Triticumaestivum), Neh, Jau (Hordeum himalayense) and medicinal plants for their livelihood.
• Cultural Heritage
  • Almost all settlements in the property are associated with Buddhist monasteries known as Gompas with a trademark prayer flag fluttering on top. Built either on flat land or atop the neighbouring hillock depending upon local factors, these shrines are the centers of the people’s cultural life and have influenced their religious beliefs for centuries.
  • The architecture of the region is an interesting amalgamation of Indian and Tibetan influences, and monastic buildings reflect a deeply Buddhist approach.
  • There are other architectural manifestations unique to this region. One is the Chorten (‘receptacle of worship’), which are remarkable types of stupas, and the Mani walls, long and thick platform-like row of stones, about 1 to 1.25 m high and 1.25 m wide, faced with carved stones inscribed with holy mantras.
  • Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the Trans-Himalayan Ladakh Region, Jammu and Kashmir, has been inscribed since 2012 as one of elements on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
  • The performing arts: traditional dance including mask dance, theater, contemporary plays, folk music
  • Craft-making techniques: thangkas, carpet weaving, pashmina and marino shawls and local quilt weaving, prayer flags of cloth, gold, silver, bronze sculptures, copper objects, wooden furniture including manuscript shelves, stone, stucco and clay
  • Customs: sacred paintings, agriculture farming, kitchen-gardening, culinary, giving birth, wedding, death et al
  • Rituals and beliefs: folk stories, legends, classical and vernacular language, dialects, songs, poems, ancient scripts etc. are parts of cultural legacy and well-maintained intangible heritage traditions of the property.
• Natural Heritage
  • Region displays an extremely fragile ecosystem that shows a complex relationship of the climatic and geomorphological processes, and exhibits very less but highly endemic diversity.
  • Many rare and special varieties of flora and fauna are found here so much so that many national parks and wildlife reserves have been declared here by the Government for their protection.
  • Furthermore, the Cold Desert has been declared as the 16th Biosphere Reserve of India in 2009 that includes Pin Valley National Park and surroundings, Chandratal and Sarchu, and the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary in H.P. The Changtang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in district Leh, J&K is another protected habitat for flora and fauna in the region. In H.P.
  • The region is home to a number of endangered species, including the snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, and Tibetan wolf, as well as a range of unique plant species.