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>Hindian1947: Hindu and English are official in Ladakh

2021-06-06T13:20:37Z

Hindu and English are official in Ladakh

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}

{{Infobox settlement
| name =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| other_name = Hem-Babs <br /> Humas
| nickname = The Gateway to Ladakh
| settlement_type =
| image_skyline = Drass and Tololing Range.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = [[Dras]]
| pushpin_map = India Ladakh#India
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ladakh, India
| coordinates = {{coord|34.4305715|N|75.7524594|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and union territories of India|Union Territory]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Ladakh]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kargil]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[List of tehsils in India|Tehsil]]
| subdivision_name3 = Dras<ref>https://kargil.nic.in/revenue-villages/</ref>
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="Dras Elevation">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=54RgJ6FgMl0C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA226 |title=Cold Deserts of India |last=Singh Negi |first=Sharad |publisher=Indus Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=8173871272 |page=226 |language=en}}</ref>
| elevation_m = 3300
| population_total = 21,988
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Hindi]], [[English language|English]]
| demographics1_title2 = Spoken
| demographics1_info2 = [[Balti language|Balti]], [[Shina language|Shina]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 194102
| registration_plate =
| website = {{URL|http://kargil.gov.in/}}
| footnotes =
| official_name = Dras
}}

'''Dras''' (also spelt '''Drass'''. [[ISO 15919|ISO]] [[transliteration]]: ''{{lang|inc|Drās}}''), a tourist hub for its high altitude trekking routes and tourist sites, is a Hill Station in the [[Kargil district]] of the [[union territory]] of [[Ladakh]] in India. It is on the [[National Highway 1 (India)|NH 1]] (former name [[National Highway 1D (India, old numbering)|NH 1D]] before [[List of National Highways in India by highway number|renumbering]] of all national highways) between [[Zoji La]] pass and [[Kargil]] town. It is often called "The Gateway to Ladakh".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ladakh-kashmir.com/cities-jammu-kashmir/dras-india.html |title=Page on Dras from |publisher=ladakh-kashmir.com |access-date=2012-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207003511/http://www.ladakh-kashmir.com/cities-jammu-kashmir/dras-india.html |archive-date=7 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The government's official spelling of the town is Drass.

== Etymology ==
Traditionally, Dras is known as ''Hem-babs'' means "snow land" with the word "Hem" meaning snow. The average temperature of Dras in winter is -20 degrees Celsius.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schuh |first=Dieter |title=Drass |website=Tibet-Encyclopaedia |year=2014 |url=http://www.tibet-encyclopaedia.de/drass.html }}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Drasvalley.JPG|thumb|left|Dras Valley]]

Dras is often called "The Gateway to Ladakh". It is at a height of {{convert|10800|ft|m}}<ref name="Dras Elevation"/> Dras lies in the centre of the valley of the same name (Dras valley). Dras is 140 km from [[Srinagar]] and 63 km from [[Sonamarg|Sonmarg]]. [[Kargil town]] is further 56 km after Dras on the national highway [[National Highway 1 (India)|NH 1]] from Srinagar towards [[Leh]].
{{clear left}}

==History==
{{Further information|First Kashmir War|Simla Agreement|Kargil War}}
[[File:Draswarmemo.JPG|thumb|right|[[Dras War Memorial]] with Tololing Ranges in Background]]

In the princely state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] (1846–1947), Dras was part of the Kargil tehsil of the Ladakh ''wazarat''.{{sfn|Karim, Kashmir The Troubled Frontiers|2013|pp=30–31}}

During the [[First Kashmir War|invasion by Pakistan in 1947-48]], the reinforced [[Gilgit Scouts]], having gone over to Pakistan, attacked the Kargil area on 10 May 1948. The Indian army, which was by now in charge of the defence of Kashmir, sent reinforcements. However, they could not reach Dras in time and Dras fell to the Gilgitis on 6 June 1948. Kargil and Skardu also fell in short order.{{sfn|Cheema, Crimson Chinar|2015|pp=48, 102–103}} In November 1948, the Indian Army launched Operation Bison, supported by tanks, and retook Dras and Kargil. Skardu, however, remained under the control of Pakistan.{{sfn|Cheema, Crimson Chinar|2015|pp=111–112}} The 1949 [[Karachi Agreement|ceasefire line]] runs 12 km north of Dras through [[Point 5353]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Swami |first=Praveen |author-link=Praveen Swami |title=Pakistan still occupies key Dras point |newspaper=The Hindu Business Line |date=11 August 2000 |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2000/08/11/stories/14115502.htm |access-date=29 September 2017}}</ref>

The ceasefire line was renamed the [[Line of Control]] in the 1972 [[Simla Agreement]], by which India and Pakistan agreed to respect the line without prejudice to their stated positions.

However, in the early months of 1999, Pakistani soldiers, masquerading as ''mujahideen'', infiltrated into the area and took control of the peaks overlooking Dras and the highway, in particular [[Tololing]], 4 km from Dras, and [[Tiger Hill, Kargil|Tiger Hill]], 8 km from Dras. They directed artillery fire at Dras and the highway, leading to the [[Kargil War]]. The Indian army cleared the Tololing and Tiger Hill peaks by July 1999.

==Climate==
{{climate chart
|Dras
|- 23|-8|96.5
|- 22|-6|99.6
|- 15|-1|137.1
|- 6|5|104.1
|1|14|60.9
|6|21|22.3
|9|24|15.2
|10|24|16.2
|5|20|17.7
|- 1|13|20.3
|- 10|4|32.5
|- 19|-3|53.3
|source=[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=24534&refer=&units=metric Weatherbase]
|float=right
|clear=none
}}
Dras is the coldest place in India, experiencing an altitude-influenced [[Mediterranean climate|mediterranean]] [[Humid continental climate|continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dsb''). Winters are cold with average lows around −20 °C (−4 °F), and as low as −23 °C at the height of winter, which lasts from mid-October to mid-May. Summers start in June and go on up till early September, with average temperatures near 23 °C (74 °F) and little precipitation. Annual precipitation is almost entirely concentrated from December to May when Dras gets around {{convert|550|mm|inch|1}} water equivalent of snowfall. There is a popular claim as well various signs/boards showing Dras being second coldest inhabited place in the world. However, there is no reliable weather data to substantiate the claim.

{{Weather box
|location = Dras
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 5
|Feb record high C = 6
|Mar record high C = 10
|Apr record high C = 18
|May record high C = 25
|Jun record high C = 30
|Jul record high C = 33
|Aug record high C = 31
|Sep record high C = 29
|Oct record high C = 25
|Nov record high C = 15
|Dec record high C = 9
|Jan high C = -8.8
|Feb high C = -6.5
|Mar high C = -1.3
|Apr high C = 5.5
|May high C = 14.3
|Jun high C = 21.6
|Jul high C = 24.0
|Aug high C = 24.3
|Sep high C = 20.4
|Oct high C = 13.6
|Nov high C = 4.0
|Dec high C = -3.5
|year high C =
|Jan mean C = -16.4
|Feb mean C = -14.5
|Mar mean C = -8.4
|Apr mean C = -0.7
|May mean C = 7.4
|Jun mean C = 13.8
|Jul mean C = 17.0
|Aug mean C = 17.2
|Sep mean C = 12.8
|Oct mean C = 6.1
|Nov mean C = -3.3
|Dec mean C = -10.2
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = -23.9
|Feb low C = -22.4
|Mar low C = -15.5
|Apr low C = -6.9
|May low C = 0.5
|Jun low C = 6.0
|Jul low C = 9.9
|Aug low C = 10.0
|Sep low C = 5.2
|Oct low C = -1.4
|Nov low C = -10.5
|Dec low C = -16.8
|year low C =
|Jan record low C = -42
|Feb record low C = -43
|Mar record low C = -33
|Apr record low C = -25
|May record low C =
|Jun record low C = -8
|Jul record low C = -5
|Aug record low C = -5
|Sep record low C = -5
|Oct record low C = -20
|Nov record low C = -29
|Dec record low C = -45
|year record low C = -48 <-from source 2. "The minimum temperature in this district was observed -48C at Dras". Page 124 of the pdf, page 86 based on the page numbers.->
|Jan precipitation mm = 33.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 56.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 44.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 36.6
|May precipitation mm = 30.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 6.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 18.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 59.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 7.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 17.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 54.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 40.9
|year precipitation mm =

|unit precipitation days = 2.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 2.4
|Feb precipitation days = 3.0
|Mar precipitation days = 3.4
|Apr precipitation days = 2.2
|May precipitation days = 3.0
|Jun precipitation days = 0.7
|Jul precipitation days = 1.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.9
|Sep precipitation days = 0.8
|Oct precipitation days = 0.7
|Nov precipitation days = 2.7
|Dec precipitation days = 2.4
|year precipitation days = 23.2
|source 1 =[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=24534&cityname=Dras-Jammu-&-Kashmir-India&units=metric]{{better source|date=December 2020}}
|source 2 = Precipitation <ref>{{cite web |title=Climate of Jammu & Kashmir |url=https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climate%20of%20Jammu%20&%20Kashmir.pdf |publisher=India Meterological Department |access-date=18 February 2021 |location=Dras is on page 126, the low temperature page 124}}</ref>
|date=May 2015}}

==Demographics==
The major ethnic groups are the [[Shina people]], who speak the [[Indo-Aryan language|Indo-Aryan]] language [[Shina language|Shina]], and the [[Balti people]], whose language, [[Balti language|Balti]], belongs to the [[Tibetic languages|Tibetic group]]. The small town has a majority of people following islam [[Sunni Islam]] (60%), [[Noorbakshia Islam]] (20%) and [[Shia Islam]] (20%) . The local population is 64% male and 36% female. In total the population of Dras per the 2011 Census is 21988. Out of this, 14731 are males while 7257 are females. This block has 2767 kids in the age bracket of 0-6 years. Among them 1417 are boys and 1350 are girls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/PopulationFinder/Sub_Districts_Master.aspx?state_code=01&district_code=08 |title=Page 4. Rambirpur (Drass) |publisher=Censusindia.gov.in |access-date=2012-06-15}}</ref>

==Tourism==
Dras has been developed as a tourist destination since 1999, following the Kargil War. This new facet of the local economy initially took the form of visitors specifically arriving to see the war zone.<ref>{{cite book |title=Counterinsurgency, Democracy, and the Politics of Identity in India: From Warfare to Welfare? |first=Mona |last=Bhan |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-13450-983-6 |pages=1, 178–179 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZTDAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1}}</ref> Notable places include:

* Manman Top, 10 km from Dras, from where one can view the Dras Valley and the LOC [Line of Control – see also [[LOC Kargil]]])
* Gomchan Valley, 5 km from Dras (a highland valley with glacier and steam running through)
* Dongchik, 10 km from Dras (a model village in terms of agriculture, education and peace. Only village with zero cases as per police record)
* Ningoor Masjid, Bhimbet, 7 km from Dras (a mosque which is thought to have the Allah's special blessings. One wall of which was believed to be raised naturally during construction. This Masjid is visited by Muslim pilgrims)
* Bhimbet Stone, 7 km from Dras (a holy stone for Hindu pilgrims)
* [[Dras War Memorial]], 7 km from Dras (also known as Kargil War Memorial)
* Draupadi Kund – 18 km from Dras
* Minamarg (a valley 30 km from Dras headquarters, hills of which is bounded by Machoi Glaciers and also is a traditional route to Amarnath Yatra)
* Matayen (a village 20 km from Dras is the only village of Ladakh having Kashmiri speaking people)
* Laser La (a hill station about 14 km from Dras, especially known for its milkwhite water and Laser La glacier)
* Chorkiat Forest (near the LOC about 20 km from Dras and 5 km from Dongchik, is a natural forest area with a number of wild animals)
* Tiasbu Astana 2 km from Dras (a religious place for Muslims)
* Sando Top/Sando Base 8 km from Dras – Pakistani posts are visible from Sando Top, and Tiger Hill is located in front of Sando Top (1 hour drive away from Dras).
* Mushku Valley 8 km from Dras (popular for various wild flowers during summer season in the deserted Ladakh region)
* Dras-Gurez Trek Route (a trek route from Dras, Ladakh to Gurez, Bandipora in Kashmir which runs through Mushku Valley, Botakul and mountains (vehicular road also links Dras with Gurez)
* Brigade War Gallery 3 km from Dras – information relating to the 1999 war.
*Pandrass village 13 km from Dras – border village that was evacuated during the 1999 war.
*Tololing Waterfall – it is the only waterfall in the Ladakh Region located 10km from Dras. It is under the rocky mountains of the Tololing Hill.
*Tsochak Lake – located in the Tololing hills about 15km from Dras. It is located at an altitude of 15,420 ft above the sea level. It is a fresh water lake.
*Goshan Valley – it is a green valley about 2km from Dras. It is believed that the village was founded by a person known as Mon-Choto and his family. After they were forced to leave their home in Chilas, Gilgit Baltistan. They said to have been the first settler in Drass.
*Gangzla Trek – it is a 2 days trek from Dras To Gangzla (which is now known as Tiger Hill) to pay tribute to soldiers who lost their life during 1999 Kargil War. During winter, there is almost 10ft of snow.
*Drass-LaserLa-Saliskote Trek – Three days trek from Dras to Saliskote through laser La top. Laser La is a hill station about 10km from Dras. There is also a waterfall which can be seen from Drass-Kargil highway.
*Amarnath Trek – the trek to Holy Cave of Amarnath starts from Dras, takes almost four to five days and involves crossing a pass of 15,060ft.
*Machoi Glacier – it is located 30km from Dras. The highest peak named after the glacier is Machoi Peak at an elevation of 17,907ft. It is a snow covered glacier all around 12 months. Drass river originates from this glacier.
*Tiger Hill – it is also known as point 5065. It is one of the highest peaks in the area. It was recaptured by the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan.
*KBS (Kargil Battle School) – that imparts training to Indian soldiers. After the Kargil War ended, a specialised Kargil Battle School was set up by the Indian Army to train the Jawans in mountain climbing and high altitude warfare.
*Trongjen Masjid - the masjid is located on the West of main Town (Drass) which is about 2 km away from the Drass Market. About half of the Masjid's walls is believed to be raised Naturally during Its Construction.
*Trongjen Astana. THE astana Shareef is about 2 km from main market .
*Churono woy. A water spring which mainly comes out in Autumn season. It has a different water taste (egg taste). This water is thought to be curable for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{citation |last=Cheema |first=Brig Amar |title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51 |date=2015 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-81-7062-301-4 |pages=51– |ref={{sfnref|Cheema, Crimson Chinar|2015}}}}
* {{citation |last=Karim |first=Maj Gen Afsir |title=Kashmir The Troubled Frontiers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lf2jAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT30 |date=2013 |publisher=Lancer Publishers LLC |isbn=978-1-935501-76-3 |pages=30– |ref={{sfnref|Karim, Kashmir The Troubled Frontiers|2013}}}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Dras}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Drass}}
* [http://www.koausa.org/Ladakh/drass.html Dras]
* [http://www.reachladakh.com/kargil.htm Kargil area]

{{Ladakh}}
{{Kargil district}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Kargil district]]
[[Category:Kargil War]]
[[Category:Hill stations in Ladakh]]
[[Category:Ladakh]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Ladakh]]
[[Category:Kargil| ]]
[[Category:Geography of Ladakh]]

Dras - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT: Cleanup: Spelling fix. Source modification. Information added.

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>Hindian1947: Hindu and English are official in Ladakh