It becomes unthinkable for the ladakhi to take water during the long harsh winter, but at the same time it becomes necessary for them to consume some sort of liquid to eliminate the adverse effects of dehydration so they drink Gur-gur or salt tea in huge quantity in all seasons.
Tea is the national of the ladakhi, which is enormously consumed by both men and women. Fifteen cups of tea is quite a normal marriage and birth ceremonies and other social occasions the day, consuming between thirty to fifty of tea amid dancing and laughter. They often drinks a quarter to half a cup, fill it up; and put the lid on the cup to keep the tea hot and to protect it from dust etc. The cup is always refilled unless there is going to be a real break in the drinking.
The apparatus in which tea is churned is called Gur-gur, which is a cylindrical wooden churn with a dasher. Perhaps tea owes its name to the sound the churner makes at the time of mixing of its chief ingredient i.e the tea brew, salt milk and butter.
How the tea is prepared deserves a little mention. Some tea leaves with a pinch of soda bicarbonate is put in water and the pan is placed on fire and boiled vigorously adding water intermittently till it gives a thick red coloured brew. The brew is strained through a sieve and stored in another pot to be used later for making tea. A Ladakhi feels out of sorts and complaint of having headache if they do not take the desired quantity of tea in the morning. Through he or she is entitled to three long courses of tea a day, but before going out to attend to doing work have a dozen or more cups of tea.
Doctors do not recommend such an enormous consumption of salt tea to people who suffer from high blood pressure, but the majority of the Ladakhis regard tea as the best anti-dehydration measure. Paying little head to the doctors' advice they take their normal quota tea on all days.
In social gatherings men and women of blue birth has to be requested formally to drink tea or Chang, the local barley beer by the serving boy or girl by saluting or striking thrice the Tung-tak, the conch shells bangles, then the lady or the gentleman is obliged to take a sip of the beverage, such a huge consumption of tea invariably results in much urination in the cold months as the extra quantity of liquid gets no exit in the form of perspiration from the body.
Tea is the national of the ladakhi, which is enormously consumed by both men and women. Fifteen cups of tea is quite a normal marriage and birth ceremonies and other social occasions the day, consuming between thirty to fifty of tea amid dancing and laughter. They often drinks a quarter to half a cup, fill it up; and put the lid on the cup to keep the tea hot and to protect it from dust etc. The cup is always refilled unless there is going to be a real break in the drinking.
The apparatus in which tea is churned is called Gur-gur, which is a cylindrical wooden churn with a dasher. Perhaps tea owes its name to the sound the churner makes at the time of mixing of its chief ingredient i.e the tea brew, salt milk and butter.
How the tea is prepared deserves a little mention. Some tea leaves with a pinch of soda bicarbonate is put in water and the pan is placed on fire and boiled vigorously adding water intermittently till it gives a thick red coloured brew. The brew is strained through a sieve and stored in another pot to be used later for making tea. A Ladakhi feels out of sorts and complaint of having headache if they do not take the desired quantity of tea in the morning. Through he or she is entitled to three long courses of tea a day, but before going out to attend to doing work have a dozen or more cups of tea.
Doctors do not recommend such an enormous consumption of salt tea to people who suffer from high blood pressure, but the majority of the Ladakhis regard tea as the best anti-dehydration measure. Paying little head to the doctors' advice they take their normal quota tea on all days.
In social gatherings men and women of blue birth has to be requested formally to drink tea or Chang, the local barley beer by the serving boy or girl by saluting or striking thrice the Tung-tak, the conch shells bangles, then the lady or the gentleman is obliged to take a sip of the beverage, such a huge consumption of tea invariably results in much urination in the cold months as the extra quantity of liquid gets no exit in the form of perspiration from the body.
Travel Corporation of Ladakh
(TC Ladakh) is given the special privilege during the Hemis and Lamayuru festivals of Leh Ladakh. The special souvenir of Ladakhi handicraft worth of Rs 1000 will be given to each tourists.
Festival Dates:
11 & 12 July: Hemis
17 & 18 July: Lamayuru