Padum
| Padum | |
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| Coordinates | 33°28′N 76°53′E / 33.47°N 76.88°ECoordinates: 33°28′N 76°53′E / 33.47°N 76.88°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District(s) | Kargil |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 3,669 metres (12,037 ft) |
Padum (also spelled Padam) is the largest town and administrative centre of Zanskar tehsil of Kargil district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is 240 km away from Kargil.
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[edit] Description
The population is about 1,000 people.[1] The traditional heart of the village is below the gompa where two large chortens stand above old buildings. A road was constructed in 1980 from Kargil across Pensi La. Padum has several hotels and restaurants meant for tourists. Padum has a post office, internet cafes and telephone booths.
[edit] Geography
Padum is in the centre of Zanskar.[2] It has an average elevation of 3,669 metres (12,037 feet). There are several small villages around Padum.
[edit] People
Padum is largely inhabited by people of Tibetan descent who follow Tibetan Buddhism, but there is a sizable Muslim minority (accounting for ~40% of the town's population), mainly Balti, who have been present in Padum since the 17th century. A mosque was built in Padum in recent years to cater the local Muslim population.
[edit] Padum valley
The Padum Valley is a valley of the Zanskar region in the state of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. The Doda River flows through the valley from its source at the Drang Drung glacier of the Pensi La.
The Zanskar River is located further downstream past the valley.
A number of notable Buddhist monasteries are located near Padum including Bardan Monastery and Kursha Monastery.
[edit] How to reach
By Bus: The bus details here apply during the tourist season between July 1 and September 15 only, after this period the Manali-Leh highway is formally closed. The other roads including the highway from Leh to Srinagar via Kargil, remain open until the end of October. Despite of heavy blizzard, the road from Leh to Nubra valley over the extremely high Khardung La is kept open throughout the year.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- Janet Rizvi. (1996). Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Delhi. ISBN 019564546-4.
- Osada et al. (2000). Mapping the Tibetan World. Yukiyasu Osada, Gavin Allwright, and Atsushi Kanamaru. Reprint: 2004. Kotan Publishing, Tokyo. ISBN 0-9701716-0-9.
- Schettler, Margaret & Rolf (1981). Kashmir, Ladakh & Zanskar. Lonely Planet Publications. South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. ISBN 0 908086 21 0.
[edit] External links
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