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People of Ladakh
Facial Features
 The people of Ladakh bore much resemblance to Tibetans and Central
Asians with their round faces, short stubby noses and small 'chinki'
eyes with pronounced cheekbones. The people of the mountains, they have
good stamina are accustomed to manual labor. However, they are
considered to be soft and plain at heart. Originally, Ladakh was
believed to be inhabited by the Indo-Aryan race of Dards, who originated
somewhere down the River Indus, the regular influx of Tibetan people has
resulted in the disappearance of racial characteristics of 'Dards' here
and most of the population of eastern and central Ladakh wears Tibetan
facial features. However, to the west and around Kargil, one can see the
fusion of the facial features of different origins. 'Arghons' of Leh are
a community of Muslims that are believed to be the descendants of the
mixed marriages of local women and merchants who came here from Kashmir
and Central Asia.
Buddhism - the main religion
 Lamaist Buddhists inhabit most of Ladakh and have been believed to come
from Tibet originally. The ancient Buddhist inscriptions and frock
engravings are found all over Ladakh including the now Muslim-majority
areas of Drass and lower Suru valleys. The 'Mani' walls mark the
beginning of the Buddhist villages and Gompas or monasteries can
abundantly be seen here ranging from a tiny hermitage to the large
temple complexes of the monks. The culture and lifestyle of the people
of Ladakh is deeply influence by their religion. However, there are a
number of Muslim inhabitants here too, especially in the valleys of
Drass, Kargil and Suru, mosques and Islamic-style 'Imambaras' can often
be seen.
The Status Of Women
Women enjoy a more liberal and independent status in the Leh area,
whether Buddhist or Muslim. They not only perform traditional duties of
housekeeping and farming but also partake freely in the businesses of
the region and are allowed to converse freely with men, even if they are
strangers. However, it is only recently that women of the nearby areas
including Kargil are coming out of their semi-seclusion status and
taking up such jobs.
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