The Indus and the Rivers of Ladakh

The Indus (Sindhu)

• Rises near Lake Manasarovar in Tibet (about 5,000 m). Called Senge Khabab ("Lion's Mouth") there.
• Total length about 3,180 km. It flows north-west through Ladakh, then through Gilgit-Baltistan in a great bend around Nanga Parbat and into the plains of Pakistan.
• In Ladakh it flows from Demchok to the Batalik area, passing Leh, Nimmu and Khalsi.
• Tributaries in Ladakh: Zanskar (right bank, at Nimmu), Shyok (left bank, in Gilgit-Baltistan), Suru and Dras (via the Kargil area), Hanle and Gartang.
• Indus Valley is the main settled area of Ladakh: Leh, Choglamsar, Thiksey, Hemis and Shey lie on its banks.

Shyok ("River of Death")

• Length about 550 km (figures vary). Rises from the Rimo Glacier, flows south-east, then makes a great bend north-west through the Nubra valley.
• Nubra joins it near Diskit. It joins the Indus in Gilgit-Baltistan.
• The name Shyok means "river of death" because of its dangerous crossings and floods from glacial lakes.

Nubra

• Called Siachen river. It flows from the Siachen Glacier, through the Nubra valley (the "Valley of Flowers" in Ladakhi).

Zanskar River

• Formed by two streams, Stod (from Drang-Drung Glacier) and Lungnak (from Phirtse La), which meet at Padum.
• It cuts a deep gorge, with a frozen-river winter trek, the Chadar Trek.
• It joins the Indus at Nimmu, where the brown Indus and green Zanskar are seen to run side by side.

Suru and Dras

• The Suru rises in the Parkachik Glacier (near Pensi La), and flows north past Sankoo and Kargil.
• The Dras rises near Machoi and Zojila and joins the Suru. Dras town is among the coldest inhabited places in India.
• The Suru (carrying the Dras) turns east and joins the Indus downstream of Kargil.