The Zanskar River is the first major tributary of the

Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

, equal or greater in volume than the main river, which flows entirely within

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

, India. It originates northeast of the

Great Himalaya The Great Himalayas or Greater Himalayas or Himadri is the highest mountain range of the Himalayan Range.Hussain, MajidGeography of India/ref> The world's highest peak, Mount Everest, as well as other "near−highest" peaks, such as Kangchenjunga, ...

n range and drains both the Himalayas and the

Zanskar Range Zanskar, Zahar (locally) or Zangskar, is a tehsil of Kargil district, in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The administrative centre is Padum (former Capital of Zanskar). Zanskar, together with the neighboring region of Ladakh, was brie ...

within the region of

Zanskar Zanskar, Zahar (locally) or Zangskar, is a tehsil of Kargil district, in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The administrative centre is Padum (former Capital of Zanskar). Zanskar, together with the neighboring region of Ladakh, was brie ...

. It flows northeast to join the Indus River near Nimo.

Etymology

Zanskar (''Zangs-kar'') means "white copper" or brass.

Course

In its upper reaches, the Zanskar has two main branches. First of these, the Doda, has its source near the

Pensi-la Pensi-la (Pensi Pass) is a mountain pass in the Ladakh union territory of India, which is known as the Gateway to Zanskar. Pensi La is above sea level and connects the Suru Valley region to the Zanskar Valley region. The summit at this end of ...

mountain-pass and flows south-eastwards along the main Zanskar valley leading towards

Padum Padum (also known as Padam) is a town named after Padmasambhava. It is the only town and the administrative centre in Zanskar, Kargil district of Ladakh, India. It was historically one of the two main capitals of the Zanskar Kingdom, the other ...

, the capital of

. The second branch is formed by two main tributaries known as Kargyag river, with its source near the

Shingo La Shingo-La (also known as Shinku La) is a mountain pass in India, on the border between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. Geography There is a shallow lake or pool 20m below the pass. The pass is on a long-distance footpath linking Zanskar and La ...

, and Tsarap river, with its source near the Baralacha-La. These two rivers unite below the village of Purne to form the Lungnak river (also known as the Lingti or Tsarap). The Lungnak river then flows north-westwards along a narrow gorge towards Zanskar's central valley (known locally as gzhung khor), where it unites with the Doda river to form the main Zanskar river. This river then takes a north-eastern course through the dramatic Zanskar Gorge until it joins the

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

near "Nimmu" in

Tourism

Lower (northern) sections of that gorge are popular in summer with tourists making rafting trips, typically from Chiling to Nimmu. In winter when the road to Zanskar is closed by snow on the high passes, the only overland route to Padum is by walking along the frozen river, a multi-day hike that is now sold as an adventure activity called the Chadar ('ice sheet') Trek. This trek will eventually be rendered obsolete once the road from Chiling to Padum is completed.''Trekking in the Indian Himalaya'' by Garry Weare

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guide, page 71

References

Bibliography

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External links