Khalatse (), often written as Khaltse or Khalsi, is the headquarters of the

eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

subdivision Subdivision may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Subdivision (metre), in music * ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009 * "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2) * ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005 * "Subdivisions" (song), by Rush ...

block Block or blocked may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Block programming, the result of a programming strategy in broadcasting * W242BX, a radio station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina, United States known as ''96.3 ...

and

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...

in the

Leh district Leh district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Dispute, disputed Kashmir-region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:T ...

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

.Leh subdivision-blocks
It is located 95 km from Leh city on the old main road to

Kargil Kargil or Kargyil is a City in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TERTIARY, tert ...

, where it crosses the Indus over an iron bridge. Much of its importance is because it is the place where the road from Kashmir debouches into the

Indus Valley 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 the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the disp ...

. Close by are the remains of an old fortified customs house. Khaltsi is also the location of the upcoming new Sindhu Central

University of Ladakh University of Ladakh (UOL), aka Ladakh University, is a public university located in Leh in Leh district of Indian Union territory of Ladakh. UOL is a cluster university comprising the degree colleges of Leh, Kargil, Nubra Valley, Zanskar, ...

History

A fragmentary inscription at Khalatse carries the name 'Maharaja Uvima' which is attributed to the

Kushan ''Kushan'' or Kushana may refer to: * Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire (– CE) was a Syncretism, syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan ...

king,

Vima Kadphises Vima Kadphises (Greek: Οοημο Καδφιϲηϲ ''Ooēmo Kadphisēs'' (epigraphic); Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨁𐨨 𐨐𐨫𐨿𐨤𐨁𐨭 ', ') was a Kushan emperor from approximately 113 to 127 CE. According to the Rabatak inscription, he was th ...

, who ruled in the 1st or early 2nd century CE.Bivar, A. D. H. (1993). "The History of Eastern Iran", p. 223. In: ''The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3: The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanid Periods, Part 1 of 2.'' Editor: E. Yarshater. Cambridge University Press. .

Lhachen Naglug Lhachen Naglug (Lha-chen-Nag-lug) (c. 1110 -1140) was a Dard ruler of Ladakh. He is mentioned in the Ladakhi Chronicles. During his reign, buildings such as the palace at Wanla Wanla is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is ...

(c. 1150-1175 CE), the king of Ladakh (then known as the

Maryul Maryul (), also called ''mar-yul'' of ''mnga'-ris'', was the western-most Tibetan kingdom based in modern-day Ladakh and some parts of Tibet. The kingdom had its capital at Shey. The kingdom was founded by Lhachen Palgyigon, during the rule ...

kingdom), built a bridge across the Indus at the same site as the present bridge, and the Bragnag castle on the bank of the Indus, on the brook, about one mile (1.6 km) above the present village, to guard the bridge. It was built in competition with another bridge, the Babu Khar bridge, only three miles (4.8 km) away, and was clearly built to raise taxes from travellers. The castle is said to have been the first castle built in the country. The ruins of the castle and also the remains of extensive fields and watercourses are still visible. Lha chen Naglug also built the palace at

Wanla Wanla is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Khalsi tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the are ...

. There are a number of ancient Dardic rock carvings nearby, including one of a Dard woman carrying a basket on her back, one of a man hunting antelopes, and some showing men with what appear to be flat hats, all costumes similar to the Dards of Da. In front of the ancient Dard castle at Khalatse is an inscription in an Indian language which probably dates from the period of Dard occupation. The German

Moravian Church The Moravian Church, or the Moravian Brethren ( or ), formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century and the original ...

Mission, which opened in Leh in 1885 had a sub-station in Khalatse which remained open for the half a century prior to India's independence in 1947 and played a prominent role there with their medical and educational activities, but only made a few converts. At a cost of 750 crores, Khaltsi has been chosen as the location of the upcoming Central University in Ladakh. Its location was strategically chosen, being between the capitals of

and

Leh Leh () is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Kashmir_dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TE ...

. Khalatse is also famous for its

apricots An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...

Demographics

Entering Khaltse by road from Srinagar, it is clear one is entering the heartland of Buddhism with its ''chortens'' or small

stupas In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

mani stone Mani stones are stone plates, rocks, or pebbles inscribed with the six-syllabled mantra of Avalokiteshvara (''Om mani padme hum'', hence the name ''mani stone'') as a form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism. The term mani stone may also be used to ...

s and

prayer flag A Tibetan prayer flag is a colorful rectangular cloth, often found strung along trails and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Prayer flags are believed to have originated with ...

s. Upstream from Khalatse, and downstream on the right bank of the Indus, the people are almost all Buddhist. The ones downstream are mostly Brokpa or Dards. According to the 2011 census of India, Khaltse has 156 households. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 86.27%.

Climate

Because Khalatse is about 400 metres lower than Leh, two crops can be grown each year rather than only one. By the time crops are being sown at Leh in late May, they are already half-grown at Khalatse. The first crop – usually of ''grim'' (naked

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

– ''Hordeum vulgare'' L. var. ''nudum'' Hook. f., which is an ancient form of domesticated barley with an easier to remove hull) – from which

tsampa Tsampa or Tsamba (; ) is a Tibetan and Himalayan staple foodstuff; it is also prominent in parts of northern Nepal. It is a glutinous meal made from roasted flour, usually barley flour and sometimes also wheat flour and flour prepared from tr ...

, the staple food in Ladakh, is made) is usually harvested by mid-July and then other crops such as

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') or common buckwheat is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...

turnips The turnip or white turnip ('' Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties a ...

and other vegetables are planted.

References

Bibliography

* * Francke, A. H. (1914). ''Antiquities of Indian Tibet''. Two Volumes. Calcutta. 1972 reprint: S. Chand, New Delhi. *Schettler, Rolf & Margaret. (1981). ''Kashmir, Ladakh & Zanskar''. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. . *

External links

Khalatse to Marol
(via Suru Valley), OpenStreetMap, retrieved 15 January 2023.
Kargil–Dha–Khalatse Indus Valley Road
OpenStreetMap, retrieved 15 January 2023. {{Leh district Villages in Khalsi tehsil