nubra valley

Coming from an aristocratic Ladakh family, Eliyah Tsetan Phuntsog worked closely with the Indian armed forces to ward off Pakistani raiders from Nubra in 1948, helped Tibetan refugees find land for a settlement in 1960s, and opened a school for their children.

"My father sold his land to fund our education. He was among the more progressive men in the village who believed that his daughters should receive a proper education," says Zulikha Bano, the first woman lawyer from Ladakh's Balti Community.

“My buildings should outlive me and future generations. That's why I choose natural materials on the outside and inside."

"At those heights, people are in danger all the time. Stanzin Padma was definitely among the most important assets we had there,” says a senior army officer.

“It’s disheartening to see that people have already forgotten my father's work. I pray and sincerely wish to resurrect his contribution, dedication and love for this beautiful land."

Without the ingenuity of Ghulam Hassan, a mason, there would be no THOISE (Transit Halt Of Indian Soldiers Enroute-to Siachen) airbase.

"Locals often say that Dr Norbu has treated someone from every household in Leh and the villages surrounding it. This is the relationship he shares with the people."

He used discarded army parachutes to build Nubra Valley's first English-medium school. Forty years later, the same school has single-handedly changed the lives of over 5000 kids. #Respect

Doctor Nordan has even conducted free clinics and distributed medicines in acutely remote villages, in addition to turning Nubra Valley into a tobacco-free zone.

"Paper and cloth waste are used for making decorative items, curtains, toys, cushion covers, etc. Alcohol bottles and other broken glasses are reused in the construction of buildings. We are also shredding the plastic and selling it to Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for road construction."