Aba Tundup Tsering le, now in his 90s, Serlupa family, Hanupata.

Aba Tundup Tsering le, now in his 90s and belonging to the Serlupa family, is the oldest living resident of Hanupata. The village has six Tongpas (families): Khangchenpa, Zhingjukpa, Yokmapa, Ikupa, Serlupa, and Marlapa. 

In earlier times, the village was part of Wanla and shared a common headman, known as a Goba. It has now been over a decade since Hanupata, along with few small villages has had a separate Goba of its own.

Hanupata's earliest recorded mention dates back to the mid-16th century, during the reign of Gyalpo Tsewang Namgyal. It was here, according to the Ladakh Gyalrabs, that the king commissioned the construction of a road to facilitate travel toward Zanskar, one of two strategic roads he is said to have developed, the other cutting through the Hanu Gorge.

Today, this once-important route, perhaps the first recorded mention of an infrastructure project in Ladakh, has nearly vanished from collective memory in Hanupata and surrounding villages. While an attempt to retrace its path met with limited success, the village elders still recall a trail known as Gyalpo La. This route, which began at Sumdo near Hanupata and ended at Fanjila near Wanla, was abandoned a few decades ago and is absent from all maps, including the trekking maps of Ladakh. When traveling from Fanjila towards Hanupata, villagers would cross Gyalpo La and rest for a few days at a place called Chumikchan before descending towards Spangthang (Hanupata Tokpa) and further southwest to Hanupata. Rarely would the villagers take the lower route through the valley from Sumdo towards Fanjila and onward to Wanla. This alternative was used during winter, when the river in the valley would freeze, making it safe to walk over the ice.

According to Tundup, the Gyalpo La road was also used by residents of Photoksar, Lingshed, and nearby settlements when heading to Wanla and onward to Khaltse or Leh. Landslides would sometimes block the route, prompting villagers to come together with limited tools to clear and repair the path so it could be used again. A faint trace of the route, still visible on Google Earth, runs from Fanjila to Sumdo, skirting the left side of the present-day road as one approaches Hanupata from Wanla.

Tashi Wangyal, a Hanupata resident now in his mid-fifties, recalls seeing a decorative stone inscription at the spot where the ancient trail climbed from Sumdo. The stone bore numerous names, possibly those of the people who built or frequently used the trail. Sadly, this inscription was reportedly destroyed during road construction a few decades ago.

Though there is no surviving written or archaeological proof, it remains plausible that this trail was the very road ordered by Gyalpo Tsewang Namgyal in the 16th century.

Tundup Tsering’s own life offers further insight into Hanupata’s historic connections, particularly its role in the regional salt trade. In his youth, he heard stories from his father and other elders who journeyed all the way to Changthang to obtain salt. When Tundup turned 30, he undertook his first and only expedition to Sakti-Chemrey salt market, where he bartered barley and phey for salt. He made the journey with horses and donkeys, accompanied by his uncle Murup and two friends from Wanla, Tundup of the Chupi family and Phunsog of the Karey family. 

The exchange rate at Sakti-Chemrey for salt varied from twice the quantity of salt to three or four times from year to year. He recalls a rare year when, for some reason, a man from Yulchung managed to get nine times the quantity of salt in exchange for barley. Besides salt, most villagers would source part of their wool requirement from Changthang. While some bought it from the Sakti salt market, a few from the village would travel to Changthang to source it at a cheaper rate. This was then resold to the villagers back home. The Changthang wool was used as the weft while the local wool was used for warp.

Later, Tundup began sourcing salt locally from Shamma traders based in nearby villages like Khaltse. These traders themselves acquired their salt from the Sakti–Chemrey salt market. Tundup would then travel to Photoksar, Lingshed, and Yulchung, bartering the salt for barley at favorable rates. He was an active salt trader, making three rounds annually in spring, summer, and autumn. The road taken was the present-day motorable road, which was then a narrow trekking path. Of the three seasons, spring posed the greatest challenge, especially in crossing the Singge La, where swollen streams at its base made the passage treacherous. On a few occasions, while going towards south, he would take the route through the narrow gorge originating at Sumdo and  passing Askuta and Machu, a route used by locals during winters to reach Photoksar and beyond. This route had an additional summer access through the cliffs, locally known as Serlam or Braklam. This Serlam was possibly an extension to the Gyalpola route commissioned by Gyalpo Tsewang Namgyal in the 16th century.

Back in Hanupata, there would be occasional visits from the Shamma traders who came with chuli, phating, kushu, and some salt. Then there were the Chiktan traders who came to buy livestock for meat. In Hanupata, the main livestock were yaks and demo. In those days, each family had more than ten of these. Tundup remembers that his family had eighteen yaks and demos. Unlike the yak and the demo, which can be left in the mountains, cows require more personal care and are therefore not preferred in the region. Due to the relatively better availability of grassland in the mountains, the villagers from Wanla would enter into an agreement to hand over their cattle to Hanupata residents for a few months in summer. The trade was that the Hanupata residents would give them 2 to 3 kilograms of butter per milch animal per month. Whatever surplus milk, churpi, and tara, along with the animal waste, was for the Hanupata villagers to keep.

 To supplement his income, Tundup would also weave the traditional Ladakhi basket tsepo from sed. The raw material would be sourced from the nearby areas during autumn and kept in water for 8 to 9 days. The actual weaving would start in the winters or spring. He would then travel to the nearby villages of the Sham region to sell the tsepo for as low as four annas. The present-day price of a tsepo made of sed is more than ₹1,000. He also made the traditional Ladakhi shoes designed with thikma and sold them to earn some extra income.

Phuntog Tundup (aged 71), of the Chuyinkpa Family, Photoksar Village

 

Phuntog Tundup, a lifelong resident of Photoksar, recalls the oral histories passed down by his elders. According to him, the earliest settlers of Photoksar were Brokpas. However, in ancient times, an unusually heavy snowfall devastated the region, destroying crops and making life unsustainable. As a result, the Brokpa settlers are said to have abandoned the village of Photoksar.

Tundup spent most of his life as a Barzee—a traditional herder responsible for tending to the livestock of fellow villagers in the high-altitude pastures. In return for this service, he was required to pay a Shey (fee), typically four battis (measures) of butter for every one demo (female yak or cow) he tended. Whatever remained—be it butter or produce—was his to keep.

Around the age of twenty, Tundup began travelling to Leh, carrying with him butter and churpi for sale. From the modest income he earned in the Leh market, he would purchase essentials such as tea, salt, and spices. He distinctly remembers his elders sourcing salt from the Changthang region, which he describes as being far tastier and more desirable than the salt later distributed through government ration shops.

Wool from local livestock was often insufficient for the needs of the Photoksar villagers. As a result, they would purchase additional wool from Changpa traders who brought it from the Changthang plateau and sold it in Leh. According to Tundup, Changthang wool was of exceptional quality, available in shades of white, black, and beige. He recalls paying approximately ₹250 per kilogram for the best grade wool.

Apart from his herding duties, Tundup was also skilled in various traditional Ladakhi crafts. Using the wool collected during his time in the mountains, he produced tsali, tsogtul, shoes, and rebo. He also crafted traditional baskets known as tsepo. Unlike the people of Hanupata, who typically used chipkyang for their baskets, Tundup preferred Langmey, a sturdier plant he considered more durable.

He also recalls that in earlier times, his elders prepared and sold charcoal at a site known as Ashkuta Rong. During those years, Balti traders would make annual visits to Photoksar, often purchasing livestock from local residents.

Of historical interest is Tundup’s reference to Photoksar’s past reputation as a source of rare iron in Ladakh. He speaks of a bao (cave) in the nearby hamlet of Machu Pharka, where iron smelting was once practiced. Another smelting site is located in Ashkuta, where iron was similarly extracted and forged. The iron from these sites was used to manufacture tsogtse and khem.

With Sonam Norpel, 78, of the Malaps Family, Hanupata.

According to Sonam Norpel, aged 78, of the Malaps family in Hanupata village, the origins of the village trace back to an accidental discovery by his ancestors. He believes that the early settlers of Hanupata came from the Changthang region. This belief is supported by the presence of the village’s guardian deity, Kajukongta, who is also venerated in parts of Changthang, especially in Shachukul. The first family to settle in Hanupata was the Khangchenpa, followed by the Zingzhukpa and Yokmapa families—each of whom are believed to have migrated from Changthang. Today, the villagers maintain phaspun (ritual kinship ties) with relatives across Zanskar, Changthang, and Leh.

In earlier times, Sonam Norpel’s family had three primary sources of salt:

1. Gifts from Relatives in Lamayuru

The main source was salt gifted by members of the Shutupa family in Lamayuru. The elder of that family used to travel to Tibet specifically to procure salt, which was then shared with kin.

2. Shamma Traders from Takmachik and Tingmosgang

Another source was through occasional visits by Shamma traders from villages like  Takmachik and Tingmosgang, who typically arrived in the ninth month. These traders sourced salt either directly from Tibet or indirectly from Changpa traders who frequented the salt markets at Sakti and Chemrey.

There were two kinds of Shamma traders: those who had been to Sakti and those who hadn’t. The latter group only traded in apricots. Besides salt and apricots, Shamma traders were also known to travel further into Zanskar and Lingshed, where they purchased livestock.In Hanupata, the money used to purchase salt and goods often came from the sale of livestock to buyers from Chiktan. Sonam recalls that in his father’s time, a yak would sell for Rs 300—a price that today has risen to around Rs 1,00,000.

3. Local Purchase by Sirilupa Elder

The third source was a local elder from the Sirilupa family in Hanupata, who would personally travel to Sakti to buy salt and bring it back to the village.

Wool was also a traded necessity. While the village produced some wool, it was not sufficient for all needs. Local wool was used primarily for the warp, whereas the softer, high-quality wool from Changthang—purchased in Leh—was used for the weft in weaving.

Trade and Travel Routes

The primary direction of trade and travel for Hanupata villagers was towards Lamayuru and Wanla. Journeys towards Lingshed were rare and usually undertaken for pilgrimage purposes. The most frequented route passed through the Gyapola pass to Wanla, and from there either to Lamayuru or Khaltse. The main reason for visiting Lamayuru was to access the government ration shop.

During the summer, villagers from Photoksar would also use this route, as the usual Rong path would be rendered impassable due to swollen waters.

Another important source of income for Sonam’s family came from weaving traditional baskets known as Tsepo. There were two main varieties:

• Tsepo made from Sed

Collected in the autumn from nearby hills, Sed was soaked in water over the winter and then used for weaving in spring. These baskets were durable and thus more expensive.

• Tsepo made from Chipkyang

Cheaper and less long-lasting, baskets made from Chipkyang sold at a lower price.

As a young man, Sonam would carry about 12 Tsepo baskets to sell in the Tia and Tingmosgang area, fetching roughly Rs 2.50 each. Today, a Sed basket sells for around Rs 100, while the more delicately woven Chipkyang variant fetches up to Rs 800.