B R I E F  N O T E  O N  B L O C K S

Kargil Block

Kargil Block where the District headquarter is located is the biggest Block. It is inhibited by three different sects; the Balti, Purki and Brogpa. Most of the area of this Block receive double crop and the famous Halman apricot found here.

Kargil town is at its verge of beautification. Though the place is a bit congested, the Government is doing its best to make additional colonies at Kurbathang plateau.  Baroo Colony has since been established and the Government offices are located at Baroo. The town has a population of 20,000 souls.  It swells in summer doubly with the opening of Srinagar- Kargil road. Three  grand steel  bridges  have  come  up  at Shilikchey,  Qatil-Gah  and  Zamstiang  for better communication besides  Iqbal  Bridge.  Earlier the lone Iqbal Bridge was operating.

The villages Garkon and Darchicks lies in Batalik area which keep a unique culture called Brokpa-cult, lies in Kargil Block. The forefathers of Brokpas had come from central Asia in search of places to live in. They found Darchick and Garkon congenial for living and settled there. The feature of Brokpas are like Aryan and their dresses, food habits, marriage rituals, ornaments are quite different than the Ladakhis. The marriage is restricted to its own clan. Their language is quite a different one. Though they are Buddhists by religion but there is a big influence of Hinduism on them with relation to its worshiping styles to gods and goddesses. The land-scape, the people, their living styles with different culture and traditions are worth to see.

Drass Block 

Lying in the lap of Tiger Hill and Tololing ridges, Drass is known for its severe cold. It is the second coldest inhibited place in the world.  Seven feet of snow experiences in Drass normally. The people are of the Dard race.   Their language is Shina, a unique in the area. Drass comes at the top in the educational field in the district.  Government  driven plantation drive undertaken by  Desert  Development  Programme have changed  the  topographical condition of  Drass where only few plants  used  to have 4 decades  back

Sankoo Block

It is the populous Block of the district. Located  at  the  confluence of  Nakpo-Chhoo,  Barso  Nalla and  Suru  river, the  ancient  Kings of Suru constructed  the   palace at Karchay Khar . Sankoo is a vast place unlike Kargil.  Astana at Karpo-Khar is visited by thousands of devotes every year.  A grand rock statue of the size of 27 feet speaks of Buddhist remnants in the area. Iranian structured Immam Baras at Trespone and Jamia  Masjid  at  Saliskot are  worth  to  see.  Thi Sultan of Sankoo was a renowned king of the area who established a strong kingdom.

Tai-Suru Block

It is the young Block curved out of Sankoo. It is located in the lap of Nun-Kun peaks and grand Tangol glacier.  Panikhar,  Namsuru  and  Parkachik  are  the big  villages. It has avenues for rock climbing and mountaineering.  A tracking route passes from Panikhar to Pahelgam.  Rangdoom Gompa lies in the Taisuru Block.

Zanskar Block

It is located at a distance of 232 KM from Kargil and borders with Himachal Pradesh. It is predominantly inhibited by Buddhists. It  has  a vast  area and took  days  long to  reach  from  one  village to  another like  Shoon- Shaday, Ralakung,  Hing, Kargiak etc. Motorable road to these villages are yet to construct.  It  has  some grand  Buddhist  Gompas like  Karsha,  Sani,  Zongkhul,  Stongday,  Baardan,  Phooktal  etc. It has many tracking routes to Himachal Pradesh, Kishtwar, Leh etc.   Chadar  road which  undertakes in  winter over frozen  Zanskar river is  now  becoming a tourist  interest adventurous  road.   Padum Khar and Zangla  Khar were  the  two big palaces from  where  the kings  ruled  the  area.

Shakar-Chiktan Block

Chiktan has been remained seat of a rich cultural ethos. They are rich in folk dances, folk lore and folk songs. This is very much evident from the fact that the people still communicate messages through folk songs.

The people are sharp in memory and are renowned epic tellers of Ling Gyalam Gesar and the Api-tso. The epic tellers of Chiktan are still in existence and are invited to the other villages of Kargil to tell the folk lore and folk songs.

Ti-Sug Ganga Sug were the early dwellers of Chiktan. Their off-shoots were subjugated by Tha-Tha Khan and established his kingdom at Chiktan. The castle of Chiktan was unique in the area and was known as Chiktan Razi Khar. It was constructed by the renowned architect of Baltistan, Shingkhan Tsandan. The building was so elegant that the king of Chiktan planned to cut off both the hands of the architect with a view that no such castle exist any where else. But the king was failed with the high sense of alacrity exhibited by the wife of the architect.

Chiktan Shagaran had been remained another eye-catching place of Chiktan due to horse polo. In ancient period polo players of far-off kingdoms would come to Chiktan to compete. Many songs have composed about the beauty of the polo field and sung.

Shargole Block

This is the newest Block established curving out of Kargil for broader development. Shargol plays gateway for Buddhist cult to Leh as Buddhist population starts from here.   Rock statue at Mulback lies in Shargol.  Shargol Gompa,   Mulback  Gompa, Gompa at Wakha,  Fokar  rDzong are  the  famous  Buddhist religious  places.  Lha-rChi Masjid at Pashkum is revered and is visited by thousands of devotees every year.