The people of Ladakh bore much resemblance to Tibetans and Central Asians with their round faces, short stubby noses and small 'chinki' eyes with pronounced cheekbones. The people of the mountains, they have good stamina are accustomed to manual labor. However, they are considered to be soft and plain at heart. Originally, Ladakh was believed to be inhabited by the Indo-Aryan race of Dards, who originated somewhere down the River Indus, the regular influx of Tibetan people has resulted in the disappearance of racial characteristics of 'Dards' here and most of the population of eastern and central Ladakh wears Tibetan facial features. However, to the west and around Kargil, one can see the fusion of the facial features of different origins. 'Arghons' of Leh are a community of Muslims that are believed to be the descendants of the mixed marriages of local women and merchants who came here from Kashmir and Central Asia.
Buddhism - The main religion
Lamaist Buddhists inhabit most of Ladakh and have been believed to come from Tibet originally. The ancient Buddhist inscriptions and frock engravings are found all over Ladakh including the now Muslim-majority areas of Drass and lower Suru valleys. The 'Mani' walls mark the beginning of the Buddhist villages and Gompas or monasteries can abundantly be seen here ranging from a tiny hermitage to the large temple complexes of the monks. The culture and lifestyle of the people of Ladakh is deeply influence by their religion. However, there are a number of Muslim inhabitants here too, especially in the valleys of Drass, Kargil and Suru, mosques and Islamic-style 'Imambaras' can often be seen. More….
Buddhism spread into Ladakh from Kashmir perhaps as early as the first or second century AD, and flourished in the area around Kargil. Kashmir had become an important center of Indian Buddhism. When the Tibetans overtook Ladakh in 950 AD, they brought with them the Tibetan Buddhism that had originally come from India through the efforts of the Tibetan Kings Songsten Gampo in the seventh century and Trisong Detson in the eighth century. It was the latter who invited several Indian Buddhist masters to Tibet, including Padmasambhava, who was highly successful in suppressing the widespread Bon religion with the Vajrayana form of Buddhism. Part of his success was attributed to the incorporation of aspects of the Bon religion, such as the fierce deities, into Buddhism. The followers of this school of Buddhism were called the Nyingmapa order. The monks wore red hats during many ceremonies. Today, the only remaining monastery from this order in Ladakh is Tak –thok.
The Tibetan monarchy, who migrated to the Kingdom of Guge and Ladakh after the breakup of the central Tibetan empire in 842, looked not to Lhasa but to Kashmir for help in establishing Buddhism in their new kingdoms. Yeshe O, King of Guge, sent a number of his young scholars, including Rinchen Zangpo, to Kashmir and other centers of Buddhism in northern India to study the religion, and then return and spread it in western Tibet. He also invited the great teacher, Atisha, who was greatly responsible for reestablishing the Vajrayana form of Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet. He formed the Kadampa monastic order that was the precursor to the Gelukpa order.
The Indian sage Naropa was thought to have established the first monastery in Ladakh at Lamayuru in the 10th century. The monastery at Alchi, with its Kashmiri style of artwork, is probably the best surviving example of the Indian Buddhism iconography of that period. Many of the early monasteries in Ladakh, including Alchi, were attributed to Rinchen Zangpo, who became known as the great translator. But inscriptions at Alchi show that it was founded in the 11th century by a member of one of the Tibetan noble families that migrated from central Tibet.
These early monasteries predate the formation of Buddhist orders in Ladakh. The Sakyapa sect was formed in the 11th century and named after its most important teacher. They also wore red hats. The only Sakyapa monastery in Ladakh is Matho. The Kagyupa sect, or School of Oral Tradition, was established towards the end of the 11th century. This was another Red Hat sect. Marpa, a student of Naropa, carried the teachings into Tibet and was succeeded by his disciple, Milarepa, who was also a famous poet. The next two centuries saw Buddhism become well established in Ladakh and Tibet, but pushed out of India by the resurgence of Hinduism, and pushed out of Kashmir by Islam. Ladakhi monasteries formed a strong bond with those in Tibet. This continued for the next 700 years until the Chinese occupation.
The Kagyupa sect split into several other sub-sects, of which two are represented in Ladakh. The Drigungpa order is represented by the Lamayuru and Phyang monasteries. The Drugpa order was favored by the Namgyal Kings and runs the monasteries of Hemis, Hanle, Chemdey, and Stakna. These were all founded in the 17th century about the time of King Sengge Namgyal’s reign.
Meanwhile, in the 14th century, The Tibetan saint, Tsongkhapa, started a reform movement based on the teachings and monastic organization of the Kadampa order. He believed in doctrinal purity and that tantric practices should be reserved for advanced students. He formed the Gelukpa order (Model of Virtue). This is the only order that wore yellow hats. This became the predominant order in Tibet and was led by a succession of Dalai Lamas. The first Gelukpas arrived in Ladakh in the early 15th century and established the Spitok monastery. The monasteries of Thiksay and Likir, which were founded earlier by the Kadampa order, were soon taken over by the Gelukpas.
After escaping from the oppressive Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama established a new center for Tibetan religion in Dharamsala, India. Major monasteries were also established in Dera Dun and Karnataka in southern India. The 14th Dalai Lama is still revered in Ladakh today, where he visits often.
Islam
Throughout Ladakh’s history, Muslim invaders sought to convert the whole of Ladakh to Islam. They were only successful in western Ladakh around Kargil and Drass, where today 85% of the population is Shia Muslims with their roots in the old Baltistan. There is a small population of Sunni Muslims in Leh who are descendants of traders from Kashmir and central Asia.
Christianity
The Christian church came to Leh in 1885 with the establishment of a Moravian mission. They built churches in Leh and Shey. In addition to Christianity, the missionaries introduced the growing of vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, and spinach. They also introduced the method of storing root vegetables in underground chambers to extend their edible life.
Culture
The Buddhist influence on Ladakh culture started as early as the 7th century. And now, this faith has gained dominance in this entire region. All over Ladakh, you will find ancient Buddhist rock engravings, even in the few areas dominated by Muslims. You will identify Buddhist villages by a distance, as Mani walls customarily mark the approach to these villages. These walls are long chest-high structures with engraved stones opposite them. The stones are inscribed with the mantra in mane paddle hum and by shorten, commemorative cairns, like stone pepper pots.
One of the major highlights of the culture of Leh Ladakh are the monasteries that you will find in almost every village. They may range from huge complexes consisting of a number of shrines, prayer halls, etc to a tiny hermitage housing a single image. The other dominant faith, that of Islam, finds a presence mainly in the western areas of Ladakh. The early conversion of the sub-rulers of Drass, Kargil and the Suru Valley led to the penetration of the Shia sect in Ladakh. In the areas dominated by the Muslims, you will mainly find mosques, ranging from the small unpretentious buildings to the huge Imambaras.
Rather than rest of the Indians, the Ladakhis look more like the residents of Tibet and Central Asia, be it their physique or their facial features. Even though the original population of Ladakh consisted of Dards, an Indo-Aryan race, but large-scale immigration from Tibet changed the cultural heritage of Ladakh. The only people that resemble the mainland Indians are the Muslims, residing mainly in the Leh area. Songs and poems for every occasion, as well as local versions of the Kesar Saga (the Tibetan national epic) also form a part of Ladakh culture.
Ladakhis are known for their cheerful disposition and most of their festivals fall in winters, which serve as an excuse for social and convivial gatherings. In summers, archery competitions and native version of polo are quite common and especially among the Buddhists, these competitions are often a local ball where folk songs and dances add to the jovial atmosphere and 'Chang', the local barley beer is amply used. The rich collection of oral literature of the region is full of occasion-special songs and poems and includes the localized versions of the Tibetan epic, 'Kesar Saga'.