Peeping into Baltistan

A rickety wooden bridge over turquoise waters, abundant trees drooping with the weight of fresh apricots and walnuts, towering sunflowers peeking over stubby walls and exuberant rosy cheeked kids greet you as you enter Turtuk; a tiddly little farming village tucked between the snow capped peaks of the mighty Karakoram mountains. 

Just a few kilometres from the Line of Control, and the last village upto which travel permits are issued to tourists, Turtuk lies in the far northwestern region of Ladakh. It stayed hidden from the world, thanks to geographic and political barriers till 2010, when Turtuk finally welcomed its first tourists with baskets of fresh apricots, colourful silk scarves and warm hearts. 

Geographically, the village is divided in two parts: Ayul(Yul) and Farol(Ferol), on either side of a wooden bridge. Farol is perched on top of the hill while Ayul sits on the lower side of village and both together belong to the Balti people of Tibetan descent. Different Muslim communities call this paradise home, with most of its residents being Noorbakshis along with few Sunnis and Shias. 

This village has been an exemplar of Balti hospitality with its novel culture, language, clothing and an ancient history of varied crafts. A casual stroll and you might chance upon one of the many extraordinary settings here, be it the Natural Freezing Point, the Balti Heritage House, the stone sculptor or even the living descendents of the Yabgo dynasty that once ruled the whole of Baltistan! The royal family still uses the palace of Turtuk as their residence and a part of it has now been converted into a small museum open for public, offering a private viewing with none other than the King himself.

Having seen life in both India and Pakistan, with half of the families left on the other side of the border, the people of this village have amazing tales to share. The locals enjoy interacting with outsiders, listening to stories from around the world with wonder and exchanging details of their very disparate lives.

The opening of Turtuk for tourists has brought in some pieces of the outside world into this quintessential hamlet; but walking through the narrow lanes of the village, basking in the aureate sunlight, running around with the impish little kids, listening to tales from the elderly and dining the delicious Balti food, its easy to believe that you have fallen into a time warp.