SHRINKING WORLD OF CHANGPAS

The Changpas are trans-Himalayan nomads. For ages, they have roamed the Changthang region of southeastern Ladakh, cut off from the world. Some accounts say they travelled across the Himalayas to arrive here around the 8th century. Located at an altitude of 4,500 metres, life in this arid, vast and rugged plateau is hard. Winters are very long, summers short and vegetation scarce. As a result, the Changpas have led a pastoral life. They rear Changthangi goat, from whose under coat comes the famous pashmina wool. The goats graze on the mountainsides, feeding on seasonal grasses. The weather, however, has changed in the past few decades. The winters and summers are warmer, and there is a perceptive decline in precipitation and snowfall between November and March. This has drastically reduced the size of the grazing grounds and the Changpas now have to shift locations more frequently. RITAYAN MUKHERJEE captures the changing lifestyle of the Changpas

- RITAYAN MUKHERJEE

Shear hard work

Changpas are among the world’s primary suppliers of cashmere wool, which comes from the pashmina or Changthangi goat’s undercoat. This undercoat is at its maximum length in winter, and the Changpas shear in early spring ensuring the goats are not harmed. In recent times, say the Changpas, warmer winters have lowered the quality of the animal wool.

Life in a ‘rebo’