Hanle | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Hanle Village | |
  Hanle Location in Ladakh, India Show map of Ladakh Hanle Hanle (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:32°47′N79°00′E / 32.79°N 79.00°E /32.79; 79.00 | |
| Country |  India |
| Union Territory | Ladakh |
| District | Leh |
| Tehsil | Nyoma |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,879 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi andEnglish |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Hanle, also speltAnle, is a large historic village in theLeh district of the Indianunion territory ofLadakh. It is located in the Hanle River valley on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh–Tibet trade route. It comprises six hamlets called Bhok, Dhado, Punguk, Khuldo, Naga and a Tibetan Refugee habitation. It is the site of the 17th-centuryHanle Monastery of theDrukpaKagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism.
Hanle is the home ofHanle observatory (ISO - Indian Astronomical Observatory), the tenth highest on thelist of highest astronomical observatories in the world.
Hanle is located in the valley of theHanle River in theChangthang region of Ladakh. The river originates nearImis La [Wikidata] on the Indo-Tibetan border at 5,290 m (17,360 ft), and flows north, joining theIndus River atLoma, close to the town ofNyoma.[1] After zig-zagging through mountain gorges for 60 km, the river enters a wide plain, called Nilamkhul or the Hanle plain, which has been called an "oasis of fertility" in an otherwise arid Changthang. A seasonal river called Kongra Chu or Khaptak Tokpo, flows in from the west and joins the Hanle River here. The plain is dotted with grazing grounds.[2] Six hamlets called Bhok, Dhado, Punguk, Khuldo, Naga and a Tibetan Refugee habitation make the Hanle village.[3] At the centre of the plain is a mountain rising to an elevation of 4,536 metres, on top of which sits theHanle monastery. To the east of the Hanle plain, there is an opening in the ridgeline, allowing the Hanle River to pass into an intermontane valley bounded by ridges, through which it flows northwards to Loma.[2]
A road running through the Hanle valley from Loma is the quickest way to reach Hanle fromChushul andPangong Tso side. In 2012, the road terminated near Hanle (see "Transport" section for new road connectivity), the traditional trade and pilgrimage corridor formerly ran up the Hanle valley to Imis La, crossed into the Indus valley viaCharding La nearDemchok andDêmqog, and proceeded toTashigang in Tibet. This traditional trade route to Tibet is now closed.[4]
Hanle is also connected toKoyul river valley to the east via a winding mountain road that passes through the Photi La pass.[5]
The valley is home to approximately two thousand people, of whom about 300 people are living in Hanle village.
Hanle is mentioned by name in the settlement document of the kingdom ofMaryul inc. 930 AD, as forming one of its frontiers: "Wam-le (Hanle), to the top of the pass of theYi-mig rock (Imis pass)". To the west of this frontier were the highlands of Rupshu and, beyond it,Zanskar.[6][7]
Sengge Namgyal (r. 1616–1642) built the prominent Hanle monastery in association withTatsang Repa (Stag-tsang-ras-pa), the notable Buddhist priest of theDrukpa ("red hat") sect.[8] Sengge Namgyal died here in 1642 after his return from an expedition against theMongols who had occupied the Tibetan province ofTsang and were threatening Ladakh's possessions in Tibet.[9][10]
Hanle is home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory. The location of the village and the observatory are highly sensitive due to the close proximity of theTibetan /Chinese border.
India set up the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, a 2mgamma ray telescope at Hanle. TheMajor Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE), which is under construction in Hanle, will be the world's highestCerenkov telescope and the second largest Cerenkov telescope in the world.[11] It was originally scheduled to become operational by 2016,[12] but plans were pushed back to begin operations in 2020.[13][14]
StableAuroral Red (SAR) arcs were observed in Hanle in April 2023[15][16] and November 2023,[17][18] as well as during theMay 2024 solar storms.[19][20]
The Hanle valley harbourskiang and the largest knownTibetan gazelle population in India.[21] The wetlands in the Hanle basin teem with migratory birds includingbar-headed goose and theblack-necked crane.[citation needed]
Nyoma Airstrip in the northwest andFukche Airstrip in the east are 74 km and 24 km away, respectively, and the village ofUkdungle is in the south. Hanle is an important stopover from mainland India to Ukdungle in theChumar sector.
Hanle-Kaza-Tabo Road is being constructed by theBRO under theIndo-China Border Roads (ICBR) scheme. This road connects to and partially overlaps with the 125 km longKiato-Karzok Road, from Kiato (nearKaza inSpiti Valley inHimachal Pradesh) through theTakling La Tunnel (5575 m) toKarzok (on shores ofTso Moriri), being constructed by theBRO asfourth alternative route to Ladakh.[22]
Hanle-Zursar-Imis La Road was completed by December 2023.[23]
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