Ghanche district, as the rest of Baltistan, is home to ancient sites which reflect the Buddhist and Tibtean Bon past of the region.
A day spent at Ghanche would surely bring you up close to the ancient history of Baltistan.
Dotted along this rocky mountainous landscape are ancient inscriptions and carvings on huge boulders that contain traces of Buddhist and Bon influence that existed in the region before the advent of Islam.
One such site is at Thoqsikhar. Very close to the track that leads up to the mosque, you can take a right turn and follow the directions – which will lead you to a site where huge boulders sit as storytellers of the past.
On one such boulder you will find this ancient inscription:
The inscriptions translates into the Buddhist matra: “Ohm mani padme hum” which means ‘praise to the jewel in the lotus flower’. It is fascinating to see how in the past, these same routes were treaded by ancestors of the present day denizens of Khaplu and Ghanche. Those inhabitants left markers of their presence in the form of their own sacred mantras, which for us today still stand as sign posts of the past!
