In Pictures: Exploring Kanji, a Village Nestled in Western Ladakh
While Ladakh is known for its stunning landscapes, its people are no less beautiful.
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Situated 3785 metres above sea level, the small village of Kanji in the Western Ladakh region gave me a much-needed respite from the city life of Delhi. It also gave me the opportunity to see Ladakh beyond adventurous road trips, looming fear of landslides and sheer vastness of mountains.
I saw the side with people, culture and society.
The magnificent site of Lamayuru aka Moon land is just 17 kms from Leh district’s last village, Kanji. It was amazing to see this wonder of nature before we entered the village. It was only last year that a tarred road was built to connect this remotest hamlet with the world.
Home to 40 families, Kanji is a small village with a very close-knit society. The houses were small, beautiful and more or less identical. Recently, this village received electricity for the first time.
The Buddhist temple forms the cultural centre of this village. Standing proudly among the peaks, these temples look almost as old as the mountains themselves.
The major occupation here is farming. The hardened features of the people here are enough to tell how difficult it must be for them to grow anything at this height.
Women enjoy a high status in the society here and work in the fields along with the men to provide for their families.
The beautiful, green farms are a standing tribute to the back-breaking hard work of Kanji people. But for this village, the harsh realities of life stare them right in the face with the arrival of winter. Villagers spend six months over the snow beds.
The kids in fields accompanying their parents reminded of the nursery rhyme...”Rosy lips, dimple chin.”
Lo and behold! We were not expecting to see a government school at this height. The government Middle School of Kanji has been operating here since 1960, imparting education to the 46 kids who attend.
With eyes full of dreams and hopes, these children study hard in order to support their families in the future. Education is much-esteemed here.
The mid-day meal is another perk of coming to school.
School is like another home for these kids. But they haven’t seen any sort of swings or slides, as there are no trees in this region. They just enjoy playing ‘Kabaddi’.
The cute expressions of this innocent beauty captured my attention.
Apart from education at school, teachings about their tradition and culture are also a crucial part of their existence. Elders of the village are responsible for passing on these traditions to the younger generation.
As soon as we left the village, we were greeted by women selling the most delicious apricots that I have ever tasted.
Although I am back from Kanji now, it feels like small portion of me is left behind, and comes back every now and then as memories that I will cherish forever.