In May, Twentytwo13 held a series of writing workshops for students from Druk Padma Karpo school in Ladakh, India.
The school is best known for hosting the famous Bollywood movie ‘3 Idiots’, starring Aamir Khan.
Several of the students had since gone on to produce several articles about Ladakh. Twentytwo13 will publish selected articles from the students in our Young Voices column.
Here’s an article by 14-year-old Stanzin Chorol.
Ladakh is a region in the Himalayas of India. It is famous for its picturesque locations, rich culture, and nature.
Although India is one country, its people have different ways of living. The people of Ladakh also have a different way of living.
They are satisfied with their life and earnings. I think this is what I love about the people in Ladakh – they live a stress-free life.
Ladakh is a region with a deep history. By knowing the history, it feels very bizarre how ancient Ladakh has changed so dramatically to the present, modern-day Ladakh. Like other regions, Ladakh is also not far from modernisation.
But in this modern period, preserving our culture is a great motivator for the people in Ladakh. By keeping this in mind, we celebrate ‘Ladakh Day’ once a year, where people show their love, respect, and reverence for our culture.
Tourism plays a very crucial role in the economic development of Ladakh. There are certain places in Ladakh that attract tourists, including the Pangong Lake, Khardung La, Zanskar Range, and Nubra Valley.
The mighty Indus river also plays a huge role in Ladakh’s fame.
Education, in the past, was not taken seriously as people here wanted their children to focus more on agriculture and cultivation, as these were the main sources of livelihood during that era. This is why the majority of the elders in Ladakh are illiterate.
Present-day Ladakh, however, thrives through education. These days, parents make sure that their children receive some form of education.
Ladakh celebrates many festivals throughout the year, which foreigners find fascinating, and they enjoy the occasions.
We see plenty of tourists in Ladakh because I think it is one of the finest vacation spots in India.
Our flora and fauna are also diverse. There are some particular animals and birds found only here, which is also the reason why Ladakh is famous. The Hemis National Park is a high-altitude national park in Ladakh and is globally famous for its snow leopards.
Ladakh is a region where people find peace in this chaotic world. Apart from the city, there are several remote places where people continue to live in harmony with nature and in an idyllic lifestyle.
It is a place where nature dwells in its purest form. I won’t say Ladakh is a place where everything is perfect.
But it is a small region that experiences small developments, and those small developments will indeed lead to great success someday.
I am proud to live on this land and to call it my home.
To give the younger generation an avenue to express themselves, Twentytwo13 has a dedicated space called Young Voices. If you are a young writer (aged 17 and below) and would like to have your article published on our news website, send your contribution to editor@twentytwo13.my.
All articles must be accompanied by the young writer’s full name, MyKad number, contact number, and the mobile number of the young writer’s parents/guardians for verification purposes.