Darcha
Encyclopedia
Darcha is village on the Bhaga River in Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh
, India
. It is the northernmost permanent settlement in Himachal Pradesh
along the Manali-Leh Highway. The Rough Guide to India describes it as "a lonely cluster of dry-stone huts and dingy tent camps".
The village has 65 households and a total population of 298, of which 152 are male and 146 are female. There are 2 residents belonging to scheduled castes and 222 belonging to scheduled tribes. Primary schooling is available in the village; there are no medical facilities. Drinking water is available, and the village has power and telephone connections.
Some buses between Manali and Leh stop for the night in Darcha, where travelers sleep in tents. The village is the endpoint of a popular trek beginning in Padum
, Zanskar
. All passing vehicles must stop at Darcha's police checkpoint for passport checks. Roadside stalls offer basic food.
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the northernmost permanent settlement in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
along the Manali-Leh Highway. The Rough Guide to India describes it as "a lonely cluster of dry-stone huts and dingy tent camps".
The village has 65 households and a total population of 298, of which 152 are male and 146 are female. There are 2 residents belonging to scheduled castes and 222 belonging to scheduled tribes. Primary schooling is available in the village; there are no medical facilities. Drinking water is available, and the village has power and telephone connections.
Some buses between Manali and Leh stop for the night in Darcha, where travelers sleep in tents. The village is the endpoint of a popular trek beginning in Padum
Padum
Padum is the largest town and administrative centre of Zanskar tehsil of Kargil district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is 240 km away from Kargil.-Description:...
, Zanskar
Zanskar
Zanskar is a subdistrict or tehsil of the Kargil district, which lies in the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative centre is Padum...
. All passing vehicles must stop at Darcha's police checkpoint for passport checks. Roadside stalls offer basic food.