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.