Hanle (also spelt Anle) is a large historic village in the Indian union territory of

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 a ...

. It is the site of the 17th century

Hanle Monastery Hanle Monastery is a 17th-century gompa of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism located in the Hanle Valley, Leh district, Ladakh, India on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh-Tibet trade route. The valley is home to about ...

(gompa) of the Drukpa

Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. The Kagyu lineag ...

branch of Tibetan

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

. Hanle is located in the Hanle River valley on an old branch of the ancient

–

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

trade route. More recently, Hanle is the home of Hanle observatory, one of the world's highest sites for astronomical observation.

Geography

Hanle is in the valley of the Hanle River, which originates near the Imis La pass on the border with Tibet and joins the Indus river near Nowi and Loma, close to the town of

Nyoma Nyoma is a principal village of southern Ladakh in India, the headquarters of an eponymous subdivision, tehsil and community development block in the Leh district.Charding La The Charding Nullah, traditionally known as the Lhari stream and called Demchok River by China,{{efn, name="White Paper XII" is a small river that originates near the Charding La pass that is also on the border between the two countries and flows n ...

near Demchok and Dêmqog, and proceeded to Tashigang in Tibet. This corridor using Tibetan territory is now closed. Hanle is also connected to Koyul river valley to the east via a winding mountain road that passes through the Photi La pass.

Demographics

The valley is home to approximately two thousand people, of whom about 300 people are living in Hanle village.

History

Hanle is mentioned by name in the settlement document of the kingdom of

Maryul Maryul (also called ''Mar-yul'' of ''mNgah-ris''), later the Kingdom of Ladakh, was a west Tibetan kingdom based in modern-day Ladakh and Tibet. The kingdom had its capital at Shey. The kingdom was founded by Lhachen Palgyigon, during the rul ...

in , as forming one of its frontiers: "''Wam-le'' (Hanle), to the top of the pass of the ''Yi-mig'' rock (Imis pass)". To the west of this frontier were the highlands of Rupshu and, beyond it,

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 brief ...

Sengge Namgyal Sengge Namgyal (''Sen-ge-rnam-rgyal'', c. 1570–1642) was a 17th-century Namgyal dynasty King of Ladakh, India from 1616 to his death in 1642. A Buddhist, he was noted for his immense work in building monasteries, palaces and shrines in Ladakh ...

() built the prominent Hanle monastery in association with Stag-tsang-ras-pa, the notable Buddhist priest of the Drukpa ("red hat") sect. Sengge Namgyal died here in 1642 after his return from an expedition against the

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

s who had occupied the Tibetan province of Tsang and were threatening Ladakh.

Hanle Observatory

Hanle is home to the

Indian Astronomical Observatory The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is a high-altitude astronomy station located in Hanle, India and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Situated in the Western Himalayas at an elevation of 4,500 meters (14,764 ft), th ...

. The location of the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of the

an / Chinese border. Special permission is needed to visit either by the

Indian Government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

. India set up the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, a 2m gamma ray telescope at Hanle. The Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE), which is under construction in Hanle, will be the world's highest Cerenkov telescope and the second largest Cerenkov telescope in the world. It was originally scheduled to become operational by 2016, but plans were pushed back to begin operations in 2020.

Wildlife

Hanle is an important area for wild animals. It harbours the only population of the Tibetan gazelle in Ladakh. The wetlands in the Hanle basin teem with migratory birds including Bar-headed Goose and the Black-necked Crane. One can easily see scores of Tibetan wild ass grazing on the sedge-meadows along the Hanle River.

Transport

Fukche Fukche Advanced Landing Ground is an airfield in the Demchok sector of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It was built shortly before the 1962 Sino-Indian War and was revived in 2008. It is located adjacent to Koyul, 34 km northwest of De ...

airport is 24 km away, and

Ukdungle Ukdungle is a small Indian Army military compound entirely contained within a 40 by 70 meter area in Leh district, Ladakh in northern India, 48 km west of Demchok village on the Line of Actual Control with Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd'' ...

town is close by.

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

Hanle Travel Info
{{Leh district Villages in Nyoma tehsil