Turtuk : Unveiled

Contents: Acknowledgement. Foreword. Introduction. 1. Indian tribes through ages. 2. Tribes of Jammu and Kashmir. 3. Tribes of Ladakh. 4. Baltis and Baltistan. 5. Turtuk’s tale. 5. Turtuk reunited. 6. Blood on the hills. 7. They served Pak Army. 8. Partition’s festering wound. 9. An Oasis in Cold Desert. 10. Land, people, society and culture. 11. Changing face of Turtuk. References. Index.

Turtuk, a small place nestled at the farthest end of Nubra Valley in Ladakh has a unique history. It was part of Baltistan, had remained with Pakistan for a long time and then was reunited with India. Turtuk Unveiled which is first literary work of its kind on Indian side of Baltistan, throws light on the history of this region which is dominated by Balti tribals.

The present book focuses on the history, culture, traditions and the developments in this highly inaccessible region in the past 40 years. It also documents the changes that have taken place in Turtuk in the aftermath of Kargil war which also changed the lives of the people of this region. The work is also an attempt to unite the gaze of tourists and cultural enthusiasts to explore this untouched land and thus open up new avenues for the serious researchers to take the journey to Turtuk beyond the concept of high altitude effronteries of India.