Murgo is a small hilly village which lies on the border of
Leh district in the
union territory of
Ladakh in India, close to Chinese-controlled
Aksai Chin.
Name
The name "Murgo" means "gateway of hell" in
Tibetic languages.
Record from the 1840s indicates the Turkic name was Murgai and Tibetan name was Murgo-Chumik.
(''Chumik'' means
spring.)
History
Murgo was a campsite on the difficult caravan route through
Karakoram Pass,
the last place with sufficient vegetation for fuel and grass.
Czech
paleontologist and biologist
Ferdinand Stoliczka died here in 1874 during an expedition.
A memorial was erected for him in the Moravian cemetery at Leh.
There is a large Buddhist monastery at Murgo.
Current status
The village is now inhabited by a small civilian population of
Baltis.
However, the
Indian Armed Forces have significant presence in the area. The
Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road running between
Leh and
Daulat Beg Oldi passes through Murgo.
The temperature plummets as low as -50 C in the winters. The weather deteriorates frequently with strong icy winds lashing much of Murgo. Murgo has very little if any vegetation or wildlife.
Telecommunication is only available through
INMARSAT satellite phones.
References
Category:Villages in Nubra tehsil
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