Turtuk

Turtuk Turtuk Turtok
Village
River Shyok
Turtuk Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India
Coordinates: 34°50′49″N 76°49′37″E / 34.847°N 76.827°ECoordinates: 34°50′49″N 76°49′37″E / 34.847°N 76.827°E
Country	India
State	Jammu and Kashmir
District	Leh
Tehsil	Nubra
Population (2011)
• Total	3,371
Languages
• Official	Balti, Ladakhi, Urdu/Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Census code	913

Turtuk is a village in the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.^[1] It is located in the Nubra tehsil, 205 km from the Leh town, on the banks of the Shyok River.^[2] Turtuk gram panchayat is the northernmost village of India. Turtuk was under Pakistan's control until 1971, but India later gained control of this strategic area.^[3][4] Predominantly a Muslim village, residents speak the languages of Balti, Ladakhi and Urdu.^[5] Turtuk is the last outpost in India from where the Pakistan-controlled Gilgit-Baltistan begin.^[6] Turtuk is one of the gateways to the Siachen Glacier.^[7][8]

Tourism in and around Turtuk

View of Shyok Valley

Turtuk was opened to tourists in 2009. The village offers views of Beautiful Valley, part of the Shyok Valley. Though a Muslim village, there are a few gompas located on the plateau above the Shyok River and there is an old royal house to see in the village. Turtuk is the only place in India where one can witness Balti culture, and one can find a few homestays and guest houses in the village. It is the last major village where tourist activity is allowed before the Line of Control.^[9]

The Floods of 2010

In August 2010, the village of Turtuk was impacted by floods which occurred throughout the entire region of Ladakh.

Turtuk War Memorials

War Memorial in Turtuk

After India and Pakistan gained independence, Turtuk came under the control of Pakistan. India's Ladakh Scouts and Nubra Guards under the command of Colonel Chewang Rinchen recaptured it during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Colonel Richen was honoured with a Maha Vir Chakra for his gallantry and a street is named after him in Leh.^[10]

In 1999, the two countries once again had massive conflicts around this area during the Kargil War. There are a few memorials built in memory of soldiers on Main Road going towards the zero point of the India–Pakistan Line of Control.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census of India, Turtok has 384 households. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 82.53%.^[11]

Demographics (2011 Census)^[11]

	Total	Male	Female
Population	3371	2429	942
Children aged below 6 years	343	154	189
Scheduled caste	0	0	0
Scheduled tribe	1766	839	927
Literates	2499	2115	384
Workers (all)	2274	1953	321
Main workers (total)	2047	1840	207
Main workers: Cultivators	371	200	171
Main workers: Agricultural labourers	2	1	1
Main workers: Household industry workers	1	1	0
Main workers: Other	1673	1638	35
Marginal workers (total)	227	113	114
Marginal workers: Cultivators	50	7	43
Marginal workers: Agricultural labourers	3	3	0
Marginal workers: Household industry workers	0	0	0
Marginal workers: Others	174	103	71
Non-workers	1097	476	621

See also

• Chewang Rinchen

References

1. "Blockwise Village Amenity Directory" (PDF). Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
2. "Turtuk, the village on the India-Pak border, is where the clichés stop and fantasies begin".
3. "Turtuk Diary".
4. "Planning a trip to Ladakh? You just cannot miss these experiences".
5. http://www.risingkashmir.com/news/turtuk-44-years-of-unwanted-domicile/
6. "A 'battle' in the snowy heights".
7. "Siachen Factor".
8. http://thediplomat.com/2014/04/the-siachen-saga/
9. "Crazy Peaks".
10. Claude Arpi, Have you heard about this Indian Hero?, Rediff News, 22 December 2011.
11. "Leh district census". 2011 Census of India (Directorate of Census Operations). Retrieved 2015-07-23.