National Highway 1D (India)
Encyclopedia
National Highway 1D also known as Srinagar-Leh Highway, is a National Highway entirely within the state of Jammu & Kashmir in North India
that connects Srinagar
to Leh in Ladakh
. It is one of the only two roads that connect Ladakh with the rest of India, the other being Leh-Manali Highway
. The Srinagar-Leh Highway was declared as National Highway in 2006.
The old Central Asia
n trade route Srinagar-Leh-Yarkand was also known as the Treaty Road, after a commercial treaty signed in 1870 between Maharaja
Ranbir Singh
and Thomas Douglas Forsyth
.
(BRO) plows snow and repairs damages caused by landslides. Zoji La
pass received reportedly some 18 m (59.1 ft) of snowfall in 2008.
and follows the historic trade route along the Indus River
, thus giving modern travelers a glimpse of villages which are historically and culturally important. The road generally remains open for traffic from early June to mid-November. The total length of NH 1D is 422 km (262.2 mi).
The two highest passes on NH 1D include Fotu La
at 4108 m (13,477.7 ft) elevation and Zoji La at 3528 m (11,574.8 ft) elevation.
Between Fotu La
pass and Leh, a government checkpoint is stationed in the village of Khalatse
.
Dras
, located some 170 km (105.6 mi) from Srinagar at elevation of 3249 m (10,659.4 ft), is the first major village over the Zoji La pass. The village is inhabited by a population of mixed Kashmiri
and Dard
origins, having a reputation of being the second coldest permanent inhabited spot in the world after Siberia
, with temperatures dropping to -45 C.
, were carried by porters from Yarkand and Tibet
for Kashmir shawl
industry.
In 19th century, the route was improved, allowing pony caravans to pass. This work was started after Dogra
General Zorawar Singh
conquered Ladakh region from the Sikh Empire during 1836–1840 Trans-Himalayan campaign and princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was formed when the British sold Kashmir to maharaja Gulab Singh in 1846 Treaty of Amritsar
.
In April 1873, the Kashmir government allocated 2,500 rupees annually for upkeep of the Treaty Road and associated serais
.
During the 1950s, tensions rose in Ladakh region. China had quietly been building a military road spanning some 1200 km (745.6 mi) from Xinjiang
to western Tibet. The road was discovered by Indians in 1957 and this was confirmed by Chinese maps showing the road in 1958. The political situation eroded, culminating in 1962 in the Sino-Indian War
.
The road on the Chinese side gave PLA
an advantage as a reliable supply line, giving the Indian Army
impetus to build a road for supply and mobilisation of their own troops. The building started from Sringar in 1962, reaching Kargil
in two years. This was the basis of modern Srinagar-Leh Highway. Building the road was hazardous task, given the challenging geographical location, and maintaining the road is still unenviable task.
Restrictions on civilian traffic were lifted in 1974.
This highway was used as mobilisation route by the Indian Army during Pakistani occupation of Kargil
in 1999, known as Operation Vijay
.
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
that connects Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
to Leh in Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
. It is one of the only two roads that connect Ladakh with the rest of India, the other being Leh-Manali Highway
Leh-Manali Highway
The Leh-Manali Highway is a highway in India connecting Leh and Manali. It is open only between June and mid-September when snow is cleared from the road by the Border Roads Organisation. It connects the Manali valley to Kullu valley, Lahaul and Spiti and Ladakh...
. The Srinagar-Leh Highway was declared as National Highway in 2006.
The old Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n trade route Srinagar-Leh-Yarkand was also known as the Treaty Road, after a commercial treaty signed in 1870 between Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Ranbir Singh
Ranbir Singh
General Shriman Rajrajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Sri Sir Ranbir Singhji, Indar Mahindar Bahadur, Sipar-i-Sultanat, Mushir-i-Khas-i-Kaiser-i-Hind GCSI, CIE, Kaiser-i-Hind was the son of Maharaja Gulab Singh, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and head of the Jamwal Rajput clan.The trans-Himalayan territories...
and Thomas Douglas Forsyth
Thomas Douglas Forsyth
-Early life:Forsyth was born in Birkenhead on 7 October 1827. He was the tenth child of Thomas Forsyth, a Liverpool merchant. He was educated at Sherborne and Rugby, and under private tuition until he entered the East India Company's College at Haileybury, where he remained until December 1847.-In...
.
Weather conditions
Even nowadays, heavy snowfall at highest passes blocks traffic, cutting Leh from Ladakh for some six months each year. During springtime, the Border Roads OrganisationBorder Roads Organisation
The Border Roads Organisation maintains roads that serve the borders areas of India. It is staffed with a combination of Border Roads Engineering Service officers from the General Reserve Engineer Force and officers from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The organisation develops and...
(BRO) plows snow and repairs damages caused by landslides. Zoji La
Zoji La
Zoji La is a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range. Though often referred to as Zojila Pass in the foreign press, the correct English translation is Zoji Pass or simply Zojila, since...
pass received reportedly some 18 m (59.1 ft) of snowfall in 2008.
Geography
For most part, NH 1D runs through extremely treacherous terrainTerrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
and follows the historic trade route along the Indus River
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
, thus giving modern travelers a glimpse of villages which are historically and culturally important. The road generally remains open for traffic from early June to mid-November. The total length of NH 1D is 422 km (262.2 mi).
The two highest passes on NH 1D include Fotu La
Fotu La
Fotu La or Fatu La is a mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway in the Himalayas Zaskar Range in India. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on the highway, surpassing the famed Zoji La....
at 4108 m (13,477.7 ft) elevation and Zoji La at 3528 m (11,574.8 ft) elevation.
Between Fotu La
Fotu La
Fotu La or Fatu La is a mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway in the Himalayas Zaskar Range in India. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on the highway, surpassing the famed Zoji La....
pass and Leh, a government checkpoint is stationed in the village of Khalatse
Khalatse
Khaltse or Khalsi is a village 337 km from Srinigar on the old main road to Leh, where it crossed the Indus over an iron bridge. The population for the region is about 1,600. Much of its importance is because it is the place where the road from Kashmir debouches into the Indus Valley...
.
Dras
Dras
Dras is a town in the Kargil District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is often called 'The Gateway to Ladakh'. The town shot into prominence in the summer of 1999 following Pakistani-backed incursions into Jammu and Kashmir...
, located some 170 km (105.6 mi) from Srinagar at elevation of 3249 m (10,659.4 ft), is the first major village over the Zoji La pass. The village is inhabited by a population of mixed Kashmiri
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
and Dard
Dard people
The Dards are a group of people defined by linguistic similarities, and not common ethnicity, predominantly found in Eastern Afghanistan, in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir and in the Northern Areas and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan...
origins, having a reputation of being the second coldest permanent inhabited spot in the world after Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, with temperatures dropping to -45 C.
History
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the road was only a track, impassable even with ponies. Goods, mainly pashmina woolPashmina
Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. The name comes from Pashmineh , made from Persian pashm . The wool comes from changthangi or pashmina goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Pakistan and northern...
, were carried by porters from Yarkand and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
for Kashmir shawl
Shawl
A shawl is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, that is often folded to make a triangle but can also be triangular in shape...
industry.
In 19th century, the route was improved, allowing pony caravans to pass. This work was started after Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
General Zorawar Singh
Zorawar Singh
Zorawar Singh may refer to:* General Zorawar Singh, general in the army of Maharaja Gulab Singh* Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, third son of Guru Gobind Singh* Kanwar Zorawar Singh, Indian Army general...
conquered Ladakh region from the Sikh Empire during 1836–1840 Trans-Himalayan campaign and princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was formed when the British sold Kashmir to maharaja Gulab Singh in 1846 Treaty of Amritsar
Treaty of Amritsar
The Treaty of Amritsar was signed on March 16, 1846, to settle a dispute over territory in Kashmir after the First Sikh War with the United Kingdom, ceding some land to Maharaja Gulab Singh Dogra...
.
In April 1873, the Kashmir government allocated 2,500 rupees annually for upkeep of the Treaty Road and associated serais
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
.
During the 1950s, tensions rose in Ladakh region. China had quietly been building a military road spanning some 1200 km (745.6 mi) from Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
to western Tibet. The road was discovered by Indians in 1957 and this was confirmed by Chinese maps showing the road in 1958. The political situation eroded, culminating in 1962 in the Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
.
The road on the Chinese side gave PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
an advantage as a reliable supply line, giving the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
impetus to build a road for supply and mobilisation of their own troops. The building started from Sringar in 1962, reaching Kargil
Kargil town
Kargil is a town, which serves as the headquarters of Kargil District of Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the second largest town in Ladakh after Leh...
in two years. This was the basis of modern Srinagar-Leh Highway. Building the road was hazardous task, given the challenging geographical location, and maintaining the road is still unenviable task.
Restrictions on civilian traffic were lifted in 1974.
This highway was used as mobilisation route by the Indian Army during Pakistani occupation of Kargil
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
in 1999, known as Operation Vijay
Operation Vijay (1999)
In the 1999 Kargil Conflict between India and Pakistan, Operation Vijay was the name of the successful Indian operation to push back the infiltrators from the Kargil Sector...
.
External links
See also
- List of National Highways in India (by Highway Number)
- National Highways Development ProjectNational Highways Development ProjectThe National Highways Development Project is a project to upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a higher standard. The project was implemented in 1998. "National Highways" account for only about 2% of the total length of roads, but carry about 40% of the total traffic across...
- Origins of the Sino-Indian border disputeOrigins of the Sino-Indian border disputeSovereignty over two separated pieces of territory was contested during the Sino-Indian War. One is Aksai Chin is located either in the Indian province of Kashmir or the Chinese province of Xinjiang in the west. It is a virtually uninhabited high-altitude wasteland crossed by the Xinjiang-Tibet...
- Sino-Indian WarSino-Indian WarThe Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...