Kargil, Sept 24: As part of its curriculum, Government Degree College Drass organized a one-day archaeological and historical tour to Kargil on Saturday, with the guidance and support of Principal Dr. Amjad Ali Abassi.
A total of 25 students from 5th semester along with the faculty members including Dr Azhar Hussain from History Department and Stanzin Stamdin from English Department were part of the tour.
As a first step of the tour, the students visited Drass rock sculpture of 8th century A.D, where they were briefed about the importance of sculpture like these in understanding the socio-cultural conditions of the past.
While proceeding further towards Kargil, the group encountered a Petroglyphs site at Latoo Bridge on the roadside where they closely observed the different forms of depictions on the rocks which dates back to pre-historic eras.
The next important site that was explored by the group was the impressive cave Monastery of Shargole. It was learned that the Monastery belongs to the Gelug or Yellow Hat sect of the Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery has an idol of an Avalokiteshvara or Buddha of compassion, a Bodhisattva and three pictures of Tara.
Likewise, the group has also visited Mulbekh monastery and specifically focused on the 9-meter-long rock sculpture statue of Maitreya Buddha or the future Buddha.
The group has learned that the rock sculpture of Maitreya Buddha was crafted during the 8th century A.D. by the Kushan Empire, which had dominion over a significant portion of Central Asia, including Ladakh.
Furthermore, the group visited Hundurman village near the Line of Control (LOC), where they gained practical insights into the restoration and conservation of this historical site.
Similarly, the group paid a visit to Karkitchoo village, engaging with local residents in discussions about the village’s history, culture, ethnicity, and language, as well as gaining broader insights into the region as a whole.
Overall, the tour aimed to reignite the interest of students in history and culture of the society, which obliviously enriches students’ perception regarding the importance of history, art and culture of Ladakh.
