Turtuk Village

Turtuk is the northernmost village of India situated in the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir located in the Nubra Valley, 205 km from the district headquarter Leh, on the banks of the Shyok River. It is the only Balti region under the Indian administration and was under Pakistan's control until 1971,after which India gained control over this important area.Geographically, Turtuk lies in the Baltistan Region and is one among four such villages in Ladakh, the other three being Tyakshi, Chalunkha and Thang inhabitanted by Muslims. The people of Turtuk and its neighboring villages speak Balti, Ladakhi and Urdu language.Turtuk is the last outpost of India at Thang after which Pakistan-controlled Gilgit- Baltistan begins.Turtuk is one of the gateways to the Siachen Glacier.Turtuk is very much famous for the availability of different varieties of fruits especially apricots.

History

At the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Turtuk came under control of Pakistan. Three other villages- Dhothang, Tyakshi (earlier called Tiaqsi) and Chalunka of Chorbat Valley, came under control of India. Indian Army (Ladakh Scouts) and Nubra Guards under the order of Major Chewang Rinchen recaptured it during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Rinchen was honoured with a Maha Vir Chakra for his gallantry and a street is named after him in Leh. The local people of Turtuk are lived under both Pakistani and Indian control, a few of them having served in the Pakistan Army before India's take-over. Many of them also have siblings living across the Line of Control. In 1999, again India and Pakistan had a major conflict around this area during the Kargil War. There are some memorials built in memory of soldiers on Main Road going towards the zero point of the India-Pakistan Line of Control.(LOC)

Tourism in Turtuk

Every year Disket Gustor (Festival) is celebrated on the 28th to 29th in the eighth month of the Tibetan calendar. People gather from different parts of Ladakh at Diskit Monastery to watch the mask dance. The mask dance also known as (Cham) dance is performed by the Lamas of the Monastery to energetically express the superiority of good over evil forces.