Turtuk Village, Ladakh - Tiny Baltistan Village (2024)

Turtuk is a mystifying land of unique culture, geography, and emotion that you will experience on your visit. It is the only region within the Indian border that is home to people of Balti origin. In olden times, Baltistan was a separate kingdom ruled by the Yabgo dynasty. Today, there are almost 4000 residents here, and though most Ladakh practices Buddhism as the main religion, the majority population belongs to the Muslim community, including Noorkbakhshias, Shias, and Shias Muslims. While traveling to this village from Hunder, you will discover a change in culture, language, and appearance of people just like you have arrived in Baltistan. Here, you will see a totally different culture and lifestyle.

The residents mostly speak Balti, Urdu, & Ladakhi and are extremely friendly to the visitors. Remarkably the Balti language is a mixture of Persian and Tibetan, and Turtuk has a unique ethnicity. The locals of Turtuk village look beautiful as they have very fair skin, rosy cheeks, and facial features comparable to Afghanis. This village teaches that humans are not defined by geographical borders. For most of the travelers visiting Turtuk, interacting with the residents of this village is one of the most-liked things. You cannot ignore the quaintness of this village and the friendliness of its residents.

Turtuk Village, Ladakh - Tiny Baltistan Village (2024)

FAQs

Is Turtuk in Baltistan? ›

Turtuk lies in the region of Baltistan, a region almost completely controlled by Pakistan. Turtuk is one of five Balti-populated villages under Indian control, the other four being Bogdang, Tyakshi, Chalunkha and Dhothang.

Why Turtuk village is famous? ›

After the war, Turtuk along with three other villages were added to the Indian map overnight. It is the northern-most village in India. Turtuk is also famous for its vicinity to the Siachen Glacier, the largest glacier in the Indian Subcontinent.

Is it worth visiting Turtuk village? ›

From Leh, by road, it takes approximately 6-8 hours to reach Turtuk. Q: Is Turtuk worth visiting? A: Yes it is completely worth visiting it. There are lots of cool things to do there, like see mountains and old monasteries.

How far is Turtuk village from pakistan border? ›

Turtuk is a small little village located at the end of Ladakh towards the Pakistan border. It is 8 kilometer before the border.

Was Baltistan part of Ladakh? ›

Ladakh, spread over 59,146 square kilometres, was a part of the Kashmir division of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Prior to 1947, the Ladakh district also comprised the Gilgit-Baltistan area, which is now under the occupation of Pakistan.

Is Baltistan part of Kashmir? ›

Baltistan (Urdu: بلتستان; Balti: སྦལ་ཏི་སྟཱན་།) also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet (Balti: སྦལ་ཏི་ཡུལ་།), is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and constitutes an northern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and ...

What language is spoken in Turtuk? ›

The inhabitant of Turtuk speaks a very interesting language called as Balti. It is a mix of Persian and old Tibetan. Though a considerable number of people speaks Balti, Balti language uses old Tibetan and no longer used in modern Tibetan.

Is there Internet in Turtuk? ›

In Diskit and Hunder, you will get 2G Airtel connection at some spots and 3G/4G Jio network till Hunder. In the Turtuk area only BSNL will work, but it will be painfully slow and sometimes it might not work at all.

Was Ladakh part of Pakistan? ›

Administratively, Ladakh is divided between Pakistan (northwest), as part of Gilgit-Baltistan, and India (southeast), as part of Ladakh union territory (until October 31, 2019, part of Jammu and Kashmir state); in addition, China administers portions of northeastern Ladakh.

How far is Turtuk from Leh Ladakh? ›

It is set at a distance of approximately 205 kilometres from the Leh city. An 8-hour drive should get you here from Leh, but it all depends on your vehicle, its speed and the conditions of the weather and roads.

Can you see K2 from Turtuk? ›

It is the gateway to the Siachen Glacier, with the snow-clad peaks of Mt. K2, visible in the horizon from the top of the village. Turtuk has only been opened to tourists since 2010 and is therefore a hidden gem.

Which is the most beautiful city in Ladakh? ›

10 most beautiful villages to visit in Ladakh
  • Lingshed. This village is almost 900 years old, and is home to one of the oldest monasteries of the same name. ...
  • Gya Village. ...
  • Turtuk. ...
  • Lamayuru. ...
  • Panamik. ...
  • Stok Monastery. ...
  • Alchi. ...
  • Merak.
May 30, 2023

Which Indian city is closest to Pakistan? ›

Wagah: This is the most famous and the most prominent border crossing point between India and Pakistan. The point is located 32 kilometres from Amritsar and 24 kilometres from Lahore.

Is Ladakh touches Pakistan? ›

(ii) Pakistan 3323 kms running along Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. (iii) China 3488 kms running along Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Ladakh.

Who is the current king of Turtuk? ›

Museum of the king of Baltistan

At first glance, it was slightly underwhelming – the house is larger than its neighbours, but little else set it apart. This is not just a house, it's a museum which is being taken care of the present king of Turtuk. His name is Yabgo Muhammad Khan Kacho.

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