Manali-Leh Highway : Shepards the Ice Keeper of Indian Mountains

Manali to Leh highway is the most famous highway in the whole world. If you haven't heard about it then you might have missed one of the biggest road adventures in the world. This highway is so famous in India that tourists have traveled on this highway in every mode. This highway is 460 km. It is long in which 5 mountain passes, many waterfalls, broken roads, snowfall, landslides, two lakes, some limited villages etc. come.

Shepards crossing Rohtang pass (3980m) with their sheeps and goat

Today I am going to start the series of Manali-Leh Highway, in which I will share with you the photos and stories related to this highway. Tourists have crossed this highway on foot, running, cycle, rickshaw, motorcycle, e-bike, car and truck. I have also crossed this highway by cycle, it took me 9 days to cover 460 km. in determining the distance. The highest point of this highway is 'Tangalangala' whose height is 5319 meters above sea level. So you can think that there are no such high mountains in the rest of the world and here people are reaching such a height by running.

Can you spot sheeps under the waterfall

Raniy days always makes trouble for shepards

First of all in this series I would like to share the life of 'Shepards'. Shepards are known by different names in the Pahari language, such as; Gaddi, Bakriwala, Pal, Bakkarwal, Gwale and Gurjar etc. The word Gaddi is a word from the Mandiali language which is spoken in the Kangra Valley... I will use this word in this post.

Crossing the Rohtang pass

Gaddi is found in abundance in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in India. These people travel long distances with their animals. Their animals mainly include sheep, goats, donkeys and horses. These people also keep dogs along with their flock. Dogs are meant to keep animals away from ferocious animals. Dogs are so dangerous that even Himalayan leopards fight with them. In some cases, leopards have been killed by dogs.

Looking for life and green grass crossing icy glaciers

beginning of a long and cold journey

Gaddis leave from Mandi in Himachal and Ropar in Punjab with their animals. Some camp by crossing the Lahaul valley, for which they cross the Rohtang Pass, whose height is 3980 meters. Gaddis take permission from the forest department of their area to graze their sheep and goats and set up their camp at the same place where they have permission. Some seat Chandratal, some sit Baralachala, Spiti and Sarchu. Ropar wale Gaddi is about 410 kms. Have to travel to reach Sarchu.

Sometimes there are 5000 thousand sheep and goats in their herd.

These people carry basic things with them, such as a plastic sheet which they use to set up tents, they carry pulses, kidney beans, flour, rice, spices, onions and tomatoes etc. to eat. With such basic equipment, these people spend about 8-10 months in the mountains every year. And yes the most important thing for them is beedi which these people drink with great enthusiasm. The Gaddis stay in the mountains until the first snowfall of the season. While living in the mountains, these people compete with the weather, Himalayan bears and leopards. Many animals get washed away or die in landslides, getting buried in snow, crossing rivers with thousands of sheep and goats, these people don't even carry medicines with them and they face big problems when they get sick. have to do.

The sheep always follows its master, and if there is a fog or heavy snowfall, the sheep may be separated from its herd.

Once I was going from Chamba to Lahaul after trekking and it had been 7 days since I was starving for so many days and my condition had become like death, then it was Gaddi who saved my life. Even while going to Pin-Parvati, my friend Naveen's life was saved by the cushions. And when you want to give them money, then these people completely refuse to take money. Even today these people are roaming in the mountains carrying the burden of humanity on their shoulders, that too without any arrogance.

Shepherds play messiah in the high mountains where no one lives happens

Once 120 sheep and goats were killed due to sudden bad weather at Thamsar Pass... Here suddenly the weather turned bad and it started snowing. It snowed two and a half feet in an hour, in which all the sheep and goats were killed. Another incident happened in May this year, Gaddi was crossing the Baralachala pass when suddenly it started snowing in which 400 sheep and goats were killed. On his way to Bada-Bhangal, a boulder fell on a throne, due to which he died. I am telling the stories of death so that we can guess that these people leave their homes keeping their lives in their hands.

Bad weather, man-eating animals and danger are always with them

While living in the mountains, these people cut the hair of their animals and sell them, they make curd, paneer and ghee from the milk of animals and sell them in the market to earn money for themselves so that their family can live easily. In the name of clothes, they have coats and pants made of sheep's wool, which are warm and waterproof. They keep a shawl around their neck to avoid rain, these people wear rubber shoes on their feet, rubber shoes do not get wet and are also cheap.

I have had many meetings with the Gaddis, I have covered many distances with them. And I am proud of these 'watchmen of the snow'. Their lifestyle is very noble and organic. While living in the mountains and forests, they did not acquire any urban knowledge towards us, that's why even today these people are able to selflessly help the needy.

Have you ever seen Shepards?, Do you have Shepards in your country?.

Disclaimer: All photos are clicked by me (@himalayanwomb), all photos are clicked from canon 77d, photos are edited in lightroom. This blog has been written in Hindi and translated into English, for which the help of Google translation has been taken. And yes I proudly say this post is AI free.