Brokpa traders: Sakti-Chemrey to Baltistan

Nawang Stanzin

Nawang Stanzin, 96, from the Pichipa family, is one of the oldest residents of Garkon village in the Kargil district of Ladakh, India. He belongs to the Brokpa community, regarded as one of the earliest settlers of Ladakh. When he was young, it was a common practice for the Brokpa people from Dah, Hanu, Garkhon, and Batalik villages to travel to the famous salt markets of Sakti and Chemrey villages exchanging local barley for salt from Tibet. The salt was then transported to faraway places like Skardo and Shigar in Baltistan, where it was traded for apricots and cash. The money earned from selling salt in Baltistan was mainly used to pay the government tax in Ladakh, known as Bhaps, which was levied twice a year. The tax, amounting to 1 to 2 annas, had to be paid in Mulbek. Apart from Bhaps, villagers also endured the burden of Jins and the oppressive practice of Res/Begar, where they were forced to transport loads from Mulbek to Bod Kharbu. Nawang participated in Res, where he carried official loads of Dak and Bistara.

According to Nawang Stanzin who was a regular visitor to the Sakti-Chemrey salt market, the main salt market took place on the fields belonging to the Chemrey Monastery, where traders from all over Ladakh gathered to buy salt, wool, and sheep in exchange of barley. Nawang vividly remembers seeing over 1,000 sheep at this lively marketplace, their backs laden with Lugals (saddle bags). The trading terms were straightforward—equal amounts of barley were exchanged for equal amounts of salt. The Changpa traders also dealt in wool, offering ready-made bales of wool called 'Stakhur,' which were easily carried by horses or donkeys. From Garkhon, it took eight days to reach Ladakh, and the same amount of time was needed to reach Skardo.

Abiding by the old tradition of seeing off family and friends embarking on trade journeys to Baltistan, the farthest Nawang ever traveled was to Morol and Olding, now part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These locations served as the farewell points, where they would watch the elders cross rivers to reach Skardu and Shigar. The rivers were crossed using flat wooden platforms called Bhips, which were sturdy enough to carry both people and animals. A Balti rower, using a long stick, would guide the Bhips across the river, ensuring a safe passage. Besides the Bhips, the Baltis used an ingenious method called Balang Pakspa to cross rivers. They would sew and inflate buffalo skins, allowing a person to lie on the inflated skin and paddle across. A third method combined both approaches—a Bhips built on top of inflated buffalo skins.

The journey to and back from Baltistan took about a month. From the long journey of Baltistan, the traders brought back Phating (apricots) and Zhupu (young dzho, a yak-cattle hybrid). Nawang also recalls a time when some villagers brought back stongyur chaa, a variety of grain from Skardo, so fertile that one seed could produce up to 1,000 grains.

In addition to his trading activities, Nawang Stanzin has occasionally taken on the role of a Mon, a traditional musician who performed for his community during special occasions. This responsibility circulates from person to person within the community, ensuring that the tradition is passed on and maintained across generations.

The Forgotten Chortens of Chulichan, Ladakh.

The Indus River, which originates in Tibet, enters India at Changthang and flows through Chulichan village, located about 60 kilometers from Kargil, before continuing into Baltistan, now part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Today, the entire population of Chulichan practices Islam. Many residents in Chulichan trace their ancestry to the Dardi people, similar to those living in villages of Dah, Hanu, Garkhon, and others. The Dardi language is still spoken by the community. In Chulichan, two neglected and previously unrecorded chortens can be found, likely among the last of their kind in this part of Ladakh.

According to local legend, many centuries ago a Lama (a Buddhist monk) named Konchok Sherbstan from Lehdo village in Leh district, founded Chulichan by constructing an irrigation canal in the barren land. Gradually, people started settling in the new village. In the beginning, everyone in the village followed the Lama’s Buddhist teachings, but over time they converted to Islam. After the Lama’s death, the original Buddhist residents built two chortens in his memory.

Haji Mohd

Haji Mohd, 82, from the Kyonpa family, shares that he was born in a Luklo, adhering to the traditional Ladakhi age-counting system. He reminisces about a time when the villagers lived simply, relying mainly on Bro (buckwheat) and Tsya (millet) to prepare Paba a traditional Ladakhi dish. Apricot water was also a staple source of nourishment for the community.

Haji Mohd's family currently owns two cows and eight goats, a significant decline from the nearly 100 goats they had in his youth. In line with their Dardi tradition, they keep only a few cows, a practice that is relatively recent, as the Dardi community traditionally avoided drinking cow's milk. While many families in Chulichan continue to honor their ancestral family deities, known as Sabdak, in their old homes, this practice is gradually fading in the new houses being built. Haji Mohd recalls when traders from Changthang and Sham region regularly visited Chulichan to trade their salt and other goods, often braving harsh winter conditions. A site called Luksa in Chulichan served as a well-known resting spot for these traders. Most traders relied on donkeys for transport, with sheep occasionally accompanying them. Chulichan also welcomed visitors from Baltistan, who typically arrived at night to purchase salt that the natives had purchased from the Changpas.

Haji Mohd remembers the Angrezpas (Europeans) who visited Chulichan to 'take photographs'. In the village, there is a mountain with a glacier that serves as the primary water source. According to Haji Mohd, long before he was born, these foreigners constructed a tower on the mountain ( likely as part of the Great Trigonometric Survey, which the British used to survey all of India). According to Haji Mohd, the tower has some numbers engraved on it.

Haji Mohd's wife, Ama Misabi le, recalls that for many years, the villagers honored the deceased Lama's chorten by following a Dardi tradition that involved offering threcho, wood dipped in butter and lit, along with butter lamps. Today, however, the chortens are in a state of disrepair, indicating that few people have visited the site in recent years. During the visit, the author placed katakhs, ceremonial scarves, at the site to pay tribute to the memory of the late lama.

Tashi Lundup

Nawang Sharap

The author would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Tashi Lundup le, Nawang Sharap le, and Tsewang Gyaltsen le, of the Labdakh family in Garkon village for making this visit possible.

Hoshiarpur Traders of Ladakh

Raj Kumar Sethi

Raj Kumar Sethi’s grandfather, Shri Lahori Lal Sethi, came to Ladakh in the 1930s from Hoshiarpur in Punjab “to look for greener pastures.” At that time, the only non-local businessmen in Leh were from Hoshiarpur and Himachal Pradesh. His grandfather arrived in Ladakh with one of the Hoshiarpur traders who were already settled in Ladakh. His father, Shri Omkarnath Singh, later joined his grandfather. In Ladakh, Raj Kumar Sethi’s family was known as the Lahorimals. The family owned property in both Leh and Kargil until the 1970s. While they still own their ancestral property in Leh, the property in Kargil has since been transferred to someone in Kargil town..

In 1947, rumours spread that Pakistan was going to overtake Ladakh, prompting many traders to leave. Raj Kumar’s father returned to Hoshiarpur, where he set up a cloth business. In 1951, he returned to Ladakh to restart his old business, and later, in 1955, his mother joined him. Three of his four sisters were born in Ladakh. In 1966-67, they bought their current palatial house in Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi.

Raj Kumar was 17 years old when he first came to Ladakh in 1969. After finishing his Higher Secondary School, his parents decided to send him to Ladakh to take care of the family business. In those days, there were no commercial airlines to Ladakh. The only way to reach Ladakh was through the Srinagar route or by taking an army airplane from Chandigarh. The journey from Srinagar to Leh would take three weeks on khachchar (mule) and horses, and his elder brother often used this route.

To fly on an army aircraft, one had to get permission from officials in Udhampur and then wait for flight dates in Chandigarh. Raj Kumar distinctly remembers the 31st of May, 1969, when he landed at Spituk Airport. The airport was nothing more than an empty field, with no one in sight. From a distance, Raj Kumar could see a Jeep at the base of Spituk Gompa. After leaving his attache, which was safe since there was nobody to steal it at the remote airstrip, Raj Kumar walked to the Jeep. The driver, Ghani, worked for the DC office and had come to drop off some VIPs. He requested Ghani if he could take him to Leh Shaher. After the VIPs had taken off, Ghani offered Raj Kumar a lift. They drove to Balkhang Chowk, where a large protest was taking place in the market. Incidentally, this protest that Raj Kumar witnessed on his very first day in Ladakh was a very important event in the post-independence history of Ladakh, which would be covered separately. From there, crossing the protestors, Raj Kumar walked the short two-minute distance to his house and shop.

While the food habits remained the same as he lived with his parents, Raj Kumar had to make an effort to understand Ladakhi, especially when customers from distant villages came to the shop. Many didn’t understand Hindi, but soon enough, Raj Kumar started making friends.

During that time, the Ohris were among the most popular families from Hoshiarpur settled in Leh. Their firm, Shaadi Lal Dwarka Nath, served as a one-stop shop for all the needs of the Ladakhi community. Locals affectionately referred to them as Lala Shaadilal. Even today, many elderly Ladakhis recall buying items from Lala Shaadilal’s Hatti. Sometime in the second half of the 20th century, one branch of the Ohris moved to Mumbai. It is believed that they gifted their property in Ladakh to Pandit Bihari Lal and his brother Hridya Ram, who worked for them. The brothers later sold the property to some Kashmiris. Pandit Bihari Lal’s sons migrated to Himachal Pradesh in the 1980s, while Hridya Ram’s son, Krishan Kumar, remained in Ladakh until the 1990s. In Hoshiarpur, there is a Sethio-ka Mohalla (Sethi’s neighborhood). According to Raj Kumar, his father and he met Shaadilal Ohri and his son Dwarkanath Ohri there.

In those days, shopkeepers in Ladakh didn’t specialize in any particular goods. They sold everything that could be used in Ladakh, particularly daily essentials. Back in his shop, Raj Kumar traded in hardware, footwear, clothing, chai, dye colors,  rations, and other items. He even sold glasses used for windows, which came in only two sizes back then: 10 by 12 and 8 by 12 inches. Green tea and dye was sourced from Amritsar. Pre-independence, Amritsar was the trading capital of North India, with Delhi's importance emerging later. Some traders also transported opium from Amritsar to Central Asia. While they continued sourcing clothes and chai from Amritsar, soon groceries were obtained from Srinagar, which had begun developing into a commercial hub. Wholesalers extended credit, and traders like Raj Kumar conducted FOA (Forward on Account) transactions. According to Raj Kumar, there wasn’t much profit for the traders, and whatever they earned during the five months of summer was exhausted during the winter months when business was slow. Additionally, the general population was poor, and people had very limited money.  

Since phones were not popular, traders wrote letters to their suppliers in Srinagar, and goods would arrive accordingly. The volume of business was also small. Raj Kumar recalls that making Rs 250-300 a day was considered very good, and if business reached Rs 1,000, it was cause for celebration. Cashew nuts cost Rs 16 per kg, turmeric was Rs 2 per kg, and chili powder was Rs 2.25. Only solid salt from the plains was sold. For a long time, Raj Kumar and other traders struggled to sell salt because the MRP was Rs 2 per kg, while transportation costs from Delhi via Amritsar were Rs 1. The local administration insisted that traders could not sell above the MRP. The best quality Ladakhi tea used to cost Rs 8 per kg, which now costs over Rs 300. Raj Kumar also witnessed Ladakhis paying for groceries with pashmina. A large portion of their earnings came from Yarkandi and Kashgari traders who visited Leh in caravans after crossing the Karakoram Pass and traded with them. Business boomed for the Lahorimal family, and soon they were one of the top business families in Ladakh. Over time, local entrepreneurs like Mr. Tashi from the Shali family emerged as leading businessmen, along with Trilok Chand,  and Riaz Ahmed. They all sold similar goods.

Raj Kumar spent 44 years in Leh. During this time, he had a very successful business career. His last visit to Ladakh was in 2018. If not for his health, he would still go to his home in Leh and meet his friends there. His best friends from Leh include Nazir Khan, Dorjee Lakrook, Asgar Deen Darokhan, and Mateen Tak. He misses his friends dearly. After all these years, he now has to make new friends in Delhi, which is very difficult for him.