India 2026/P4 (Diskit to Turtuk)

Place: Ladakhi women are the backbone of their society, balancing deep-rooted domestic and agricultural responsibilities with highly active roles in community leadership, local commerce, and environmental conservation. While traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture provides a more egalitarian foundation than many other parts of India (affording women strong property rights and economic independence) they still navigate distinct cultural codes, patriarchal expectations, and a historical gender literacy gap.

Turtuk is the northernmost inhabited village in India, located in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh along the Line of Control. Once part of Baltistan (Pakistan) until the 1971 war, it offers a unique mix of Islamic culture and Balti language. Remote, but well provisioned the village features traditional cold storage chambers known locally as Nangchung. They utilise glacial meltwater channels from the Karakoram Range and passive thermodynamic principles to maintain stable cold temperatures throughout the year.