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The farthest and the most
isolated part of the Suru Valley, Rangdum is an elliptical expanded
plateau surrounded by colourful hills on the one side and glacier
encrusted rocky mountains on the other. Situated 130 kms South- east
of Kargil, it falls midway between Kargil and Padum. Due to its
remoteness from inhabited parts either of Suru or Zanskar, the areas
wild beauty is almost haunting, while its isolation is near perfect
even as the unpaved
Zanskar road traverses its length.
The chief attraction of this area is an imposing 18th century Buddhist
monastery with about 40 monks in residence. Perched picturesquely atop
a centrally rising hillock which is entrenched around by the
bifurcated course of a wild mountain stream, the Rangdum monastery has
the aura of an ancient fortification guarding a mystical mountain
valley. The villagers are descendents of the monastery's agricultural,
serf-tenants, who do not own any land in the region. The monastery
enjoys perpetual and unalienable ownership of the entire valley
including the fields tilled by the villagers, the pastures, hills and
even the streams. Rangdum also serves as an important trekking base.
The most popular trek from here leads to Henaskut near Lamayuru,
across the spectacular gorge of the kanji valley. This 5-day trek also
forms the last leg of the two week long trans-Himalayan traverse
between Kashmir and Ladakh.
How to reach ?
Sankoo, Panikhar and Parachik are connected with Kargil with regular
bus services, in summer even twice a day. A bus ride from Kargil takes
2 hours to Sankoo, 3 hours to Panikhar and about 4 hours to Parkachik.
Rangdum is serviced by the BI-week bus service to Padum, which
increases according to demand. Some trucks plying between Kargil and
Padum also offers a lift in the cabin for the price of a bus seat.
Cars and jeeps taxis can be hired from Kargil for visiting different
places in the Suru Valley, including Rangdum and Penzila
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