Finding Shangri La: Visions of Ladakh and Spiti

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Ancient adventurers have often spoken of a mystical land of perfect harmony and eternal bliss nestled in the forbidding remoteness of the Tibetan Plateau- the legendary Shangri La. No one has managed to pinpoint its exact location on a map. In the local belief system, Shangri La may well not be a place at all but rather the mental state of a pure and exalted body, speech and mind.

Fascinated by this concept, the photographer and author Mahendra Singh set out on its quest. Most of it currently occupied by China, the Tibetan Plateau has been significantly distorted over time under state pressure. Therefore, the author travelled through some of the last surviving remnants of authentic Tibetan life found in the valleys of Ladakh and Spiti; often and justifiably referred to as 'Little Tibet.

He travelled through remote valleys, ventured across stark landscapes and visited the improbable green oases of human habitation, culture and religion, to bring together this comprehensive portrait of the region through his vivid photographs and meticulously researched text. This book aims to take the readers on a journey of discovery and reflection, and hopefully, a little further along the path to finding their own Shangri La.

As an officer of the Indian Revenue Service, Mahendra Singh has served in various capacities in the Income Tax Department all over the country. Despite the hectic schedule of his official responsibilities, for more than three decades, he managed to carve time out to pursue his private passion for wildlife and travel photography simultaneously. A total dedication to his craft when he is out with his cameras, coupled with careful research on his subjects of choice, has helped compensate for the paucity of time devoted to this parallel endeavour.

Keen to develop a deep and a sensitive understanding of his subjects, Mahendra Singh has been eager to share his experiences with a larger audience, both through his photographs and writing. He has always found time to give talks on photography, wildlife and the environment. The meaningful images created by him and the meticulously researched articles have regularly been published in various newspapers, journals and periodicals. Several exhibitions of his photographs have been held, the last one at Jehangir Art Gallery of Mumbai. Having published two coffee table books on his travels earlier, he is in the process of finalising yet another one on his experiences with some of the large feline predators of India.

Stories from our geological and those from our historical past unravel themselves in very different time frames. The last hundred million resulted in the shaping of the Trans-Himalayan Tibetan years have Plateau into the present-day remote cold desert landscape. The splendid isolation of its hardy inhabitants was punctured by the Mongol expansion from Central Asia, starting some 1,500 years back. Later, Tibet became an objective of the antagonistic Chinese and British imperial ambitions. Then, China physically occupied the political territory of Tibet in the 1950s and is currently disputing with India the sanctity of the national boundaries laid down in the past. Border skirmishes between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army in the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Lake, and on the Siachen Glacier with the Pakistan Army, have become commonplace.

Ladakh and Spiti, perched on the south-western edge of the vast Tibetan Plateau, are enchanting in their own way. In sharp contrast to their generally harsh and barren landscape are the green agricultural fields with majestic and colourful monasteries. Their remote villages are still untainted by modernity. The hardy population is warm and hospitable, enjoy their chang beer (brewed from barley, rice or millet) and laugh easily. A serene place with its unique, though stark, beauty, it encourages one to slip into a meditative contemplation effortlessly.

Ladakh, as a Union Territory recently carved out of the State of Jammu and Kashmir on the one hand, and Spiti, a district in Himachal on the other, are not too far from each other. Both are accessible from Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages