Ahtushi Deshpande is no stranger to the stunning trans Himalayan moonscape of Ladakh . As a solo trekker, she has traversed the landscape swept by broad brushstrokes of browns, beige, purple, white and turquoise several times. And revelled in its utter solitude and surprising finds.
None of it, however, prepared the writer and photographer for the spectacle at Kawathang , 100 km from Leh where, standing out against the dark patina of worn rocks were etchings — beautiful, spare, mysterious and abstract. Especially intriguing were the delicate hand impressions, elongated fingers stretching upward. What were they trying to say across at least 5,000 years? Did they mark a tribe, an identity, or were they a sign of welcome? In an obsessive quest over 13 years and 18 journeys, Deshpande has documented more than 200 such sites across Ladakh.
They can be found along the riverine stretch of the Indus which runs for 400 km through Ladakh as well as along ancient trails. Some are simply parked in the middle of nowhere on vast desertic stony flats. It is a formidable project — the terrain is inhospitable and mind-bogglingly vast and temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees C in winters while summers stay bone dry.
But the etchings and the stories they tell, says the 55-year-old, were irresistible. “They are big outdoor museums of rock art , all done in situ, on the toughest and most ungiving canvas there can be. It made me realise that we have forgotten how hardy and resilient we .