Garkon | |
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Village | |
  Garkon Location in Ladakh Show map of Ladakh Garkon Garkon (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:34°38′06″N76°25′58″E / 34.634905°N 76.432720°E /34.634905; 76.432720 | |
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Ladakh |
| District | Kargil |
| Tehsil | Kargil |
Garkon[a] (Wylie:gar ku nu) is apanchayat village in theAryan valley region[5] located in theKargil block ofKargil district, in a rural region of the Indianunion territory ofLadakh. It is located east ofBatalik inAryan Valley (Dah Hanu valley) ofIndus river system.
The village islocated on the right bank of theIndus River belowDah.[6] It is at an altitude of 9000 meters.[7] It has six hamlets: Changra, Fantola, Haroo, Rama, Sirchangarh, and Thamtse.[8] It also includes a hamlet named Gurgurdo, which lies five miles west of Garkone.[1]
The stream descending from the adjoining mountains (called Baroro stream or Garkon Nala) provides water to its fields for agriculture, and drains into the Indus.[6] The stream is neighboured by the Gurgurdo stream in the west, which drains into the Indus atBatalik, and the Yaldor stream to the east, which joins the Indus atDah.[9][10] All three streams are accessible from theGanokh valley to the north, by crossing mountain passes.[11]
The village is very close to theline of control (LOC) with Pakistan-administeredBaltistan, which runs along the ridge separating the Ganokh valley with Gurgurdo, Ganokh and Yaldor valleys. Garkon,Hordas, andBatalik on the Indian side andMarol on the Pakistani side are important villages along the Indus from east to west.[12][need quotation to verify] Gurgurdo, Garkhon, and Yaldor were focal points in theKargil War because of their strategic location.[3]
These villages grow apples, apricots, mulberries, and grapes.[6] Apricot trees in particular are prevalent as in most of Ladakh, as the trees are long-lived and drought-resistant, and usually do not require irrigation, fertiliser or pesticides.[13]
At Gurgurdo, the border between Ladakh and Baltistan was set up in the 17th century followed by the battle between the kingdom ofAli Sher Khan Anchan and GyalpoJamyang Namgyal. It has a sequence of seven strategically placed watchtowers, now in ruins, which previously guarded the frontier.[14][15]
After theDogra generalZorawar Singh annexed Ladakh and Baltistan, Garkon was placed in the Kargililaqa (subdistrict), along with Darchik and Sanacha.[16] Gurgurdo and other northern villages remained in theKharmangilaqa under the administration of its traditional raja.[17]
Shepherds from Garkon were the first to note and report the intrusion of armed Pakistani men in the 1990s.[18]
The presence of the Indian Army along the nearby line of control has greatly affected the traditional way of life in Garkon. For example, villagers own fewer goats due to military occupation of the high alpine summer pastures, but more donkeys; the men of the work as porters for the army, hauling supplies up to the border posts, and sometimes bringing bodies back down[19]
Garkon is the headquarters of agram panchayat in the Kargil district, which administers Garkon andDarchik villages.[20]
The Garkon panchayat seat includes the following area as a panch constituency :[21]
The village is primarily inhabited byBrokpas.
According tocensus of India 2011 there are 1287 peoples living in 242 households.The literacy rate is 50.66% .It has 202.70 hectares of land.[22]
Garkhon of Aryan valley region
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