The Villages of Dah and Hanu are arranged at a separation of roughly 163 km toward the northwest of the town of Leh. The village of Dah and Hanu is a beautiful route to travel the valley. Permission is required to enter Dah and Hanu village which can easily be acquired from Leh. Visiting Dah and Hanu villages require Inner Line Permit (ILP) from the District Commissioner, Leh as they fall under the Leh district. They are close to the Batalik sector of LOC (Line of Control). These two villages are located off from Kargil-Batalik road. Dah & Hanu Villages are a must-visit place for those who love cultural diversity. The tribes here are well-known for their distinct headgear.
This people group is accepted to be the last race of Aryans, bound to the valley. With their unadulterated Aryan elements, these individuals appeared to have protected their racial virtue as the centuries progressed. Their elements are immaculate Indo Aryan and they have protected their racial immaculateness as the centuries progressed. The Aryans of Ladakh emerge as tall, (going up to 6′- 6″), sharp-included with enormous eyes and reasonable composition. In any case, the extent that their way of life and in addition religious practices is concerned, they come up as very indistinguishable the old per-Buddhist religion, known as Bon – Chos. They are extremely defensive about themselves and are, naturally, hesitant to open up easily.
The lifestyle of the Aryans
Farming & Agriculture is the main occupation here. As they cultivate Apricots, Rear goats on a large scale, cows, sheep & Yaks as their livestock. The regular diet of the Aryan people involves Wheat made of Yak’s milk. While older people still reside in this village, the younger ones have moved to larger towns in search of better education & jobs. Many of them serve the Indian army, which is close to their village. While modernization has not dampened their ancestral pride. Even today, one can well see it on their faces, their manner of how they treat others, behaviors and even their warm hospitality.
Best Time to visit
The Best Time to visit the place is between June to October. During the summer season, the climate/ atmosphere there become extremely hot as it rises to 40 degree Celsius.
Places To Visit In Dah and Hanu Ladakh
There are a lot of interesting places that one can visit while traveling to Dah & Hanu Village. Some of these places.
- Shakar Fort
- The Lamayuru Monastery
- Kargil City View Point
- Shanti Stupa
- Hemis Gompa
- Diskit Gompa
- Phyang Gompa
- Shey Palace
- Hall of Fame
- Rangdum Gompa
- Spituk Gompa
- Chemrey Gompa
- Stakna Gompa
- Leh Market
- Sankar Gompa
Accommodation in Dah and Hanu Village
This place doesn’t have guesthouses or hotels. However, many travel companies offer tented accommodations to their visitors.
Foods at Dah and Hanu Village
Options for food are scarce here. The choice of food is absent as there isn’t any specific cuisine or specialties of the village. Apart from the food culture of the tribe, there isn’t any restaurant in the area. Hence, one has to make personal arrangements or carry their food in enough quantity if you want to explore the place for more no. of days.
Festivities in Dah & Hanu Village
People of Dah and Hanu village, are originally the Aryans who are worshipers of stone. But over Time, they became Buddhists. The famous festival here celebrated is the Bononah festival. This is the harvest celebration here in which the Aryans elaborate gears dressed up like Gods or Devtas. This festival continues for up to 3 days in September in which a goat is sacrificed & hymns are sung which are accompanied by special dances performed by the local people.
Language in Dah and Hanu Village
The inhabitants of Dah village speak a language known as Brokskad which is quite different from Ladakhi language. However, inhabitants of Hanu village speak Ladakhi language.
How to Reach Dah and Hanu Village
By Air: The closest airport is Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Leh.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is Jammu which is about 734 km from Leh. Since Leh does not have a railway station, so traveling by train is not possible. Tourists will either have to take a bus or hire a cab, both of which will take approximately 2 days to reach Leh.
By Road: Dah and Hanu Village is about 163 km far from Leh. You can also rent cars and drivers. Dah is 40km from Khaltse on the Leh – Srinagar highway.
