Friday

Pictures Of Baltistan





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Popular Areas Of Baltistan

Skardu (: سکردو,:from Tibetian (Balti): skar rdo - "star stone, meteorite"), is the principal town of the region Baltistan and the capital of Skardu District, one of the districts making up Pakistan's Gilgit Baltistan.

Skardu is located in the 10 km wide by 40km long Skardu Valley, at the confluence of theIndus river (flowing from near Kailash in Tibet and through neighbouring Ladakh before reaching Baltistan) and the Shigar River. Skardu is situated at an altitude of nearly 2,500 m (8,200 feet). The town is surrounded by grey-brown coloured mountains, which hide the8,000 Metres Peaks of the nearby Karakuram range.

Khaplu:is the capital town of the Ghanche District of Gilgit Baltistan. Lying 103 km (64 miles) east of Skardu town, it was the second-largest kingdom in old Baltistan. It guarded the trade route toLadakh along the Shyok River . The town is also known as Khapalu.

The town is a base for trekking into the Hushe valley which leads to MAshabrum and K2 mountains.

Most of the people in the town speak Balti language.


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Sunday

Baltistan's Introduction.


Baltistan (Urdu): بلتستان), also known as (Baltiyul) in the Balti Language , is a region in northern Pakistan and India, now called Gilgit Baltistan, bordering the xiangan Autonomous Region of China. It is situated in the Karakuram mountains just to the south of k2, the world's second highest mountain. It is an extremely mountainous region, with an average altitude of over 3,350 m (11,000 ft). It is inhabited principally by Balti Shia Ithna Ashri, of Tibetan descent who converted from tebatian Buddish prior to the 16th century. There is a small minority of Bahais in Baltistan.

Baltistan consisted of small independent valley states that were connected to each other through blood relationships of the rulers, called rajas, trade, common beliefs and strong cultural and language bonds. These states were subjugated by force by the Dogra rulers of Kashmir in the nineteenth century. In 1947 when India and Pakistan gained independence, Baltistan was still part of Kashmir. The people of Baltistan being predominantly Muslims revolted against the Dogra rulers and after a struggle lasting a year became independent. Along with Gilgit, it is now claimed by Pakistan as the region of Gilgit Baltistan. Its links with Kashmir as a subjugated people today continues to be an impediment in granting its population citizenship of Pakistan. The Kargil District of this region is located in the north of Indian Administrated Kashmir, while the districts of Skardu and Ganche, whose main town is Skardu, are located in the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan region. The region has the highest peaks of the Karakoram, including K2.

Geography:

Baltistan forms the west extremity of Tibet, whose natural limits here are the Indus from its abrupt southward bend in 74 45 E., and the mountains to the north and west, separating a comparatively peaceful Tibetan population from the fiercer Aryan tribes beyond. Muslim writers about the 16th century speak of Baltistan as Little Tibet, and of Ladakh as Great Tibet, thus ignoring the really Great Tibet altogether. The Balti call Gilgit a Tibet, and Dr Leitner says that the Chilasi call themselves But or Tibetans; but, althoug these districts may have been overrun by the Tibetans, or have received rulers of that race, the ethonological frontier coincides with the geographical one given. Baltistan is a mass of lofty mountains, the prevailing formation being gneiss. In the north is the Baltro Glaicer, the largest out of the arctic regions, 35 miles (56 km) long, contained between two ridges whose highest peaks to the south are 25,000 ft (7,600 m) and to the north 28,265 ft (8,615 m). The Indus, as in Lower Ladakh, runs in a narrow gorge, widening for nearly 20 m. after receiving the shyouk . The capital, skardu, a scattered collection of houses, stands here, perched on a rock 7,250 ft (2,210 m). above the sea. The house roofs are flat, occupied only in part by a second storey, the remaining space being devoted to drying airports, the chief staple of the main valley, which supports little cultivation. . 29 August 2009 the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan announced that the northern areas are a new province of Pakistan. and Gilgit city is its capital city. This province name is Gilgit-Baltistan.

Balti Language:

All people living in Baltistan are called Balti. The Greeks derived Byaltae froms-Balti, which in Tibetan means "water gorge." The historian ptolemy who was also a general in the army of Alexender The Great had named the region (Byaltae) in his book.] In fact Baltistan is the Persian translation of Baltiyul, “The Homeland of Balti”. The people belonging to Balti ethnicity are settled on both banks of the river Indus from Kargil (in the east) to Haramosh (in the west) and from Karakoram Range (in the north) to Deosai Planes (in the south). The Balti ethnicity is primarily Tibetan in origin, with some Darice admixture. However people migrated to this area in different periods of ancient times, on account of different reasons and after merging in the prevailing Tibetan society, gave birth to a new civilaization. All these multi racial groups speak Balti LAnguage, which is a branch of the ancient Tibetan language. However in some rural areas, the Sheen people still speak shina lanuage.

The Balti are a very forbearing, cheerful, and hospitable people.

There are several Balti communities located in Pakistan's urban areas further south, notably in Lahore , Islamabad , Quetta And In Karachi

Areas:

The present Balti language or Balti form of Tibetan language is spoken in the whole of Baltistan and it is said that Purki-dialect of Purig and Suru-Kartse valleys come in to the Balti group linguistically. However, at the moment nearly 0.4 million people living in Baltistan and about 0.1 million Baltis who live in different cities of Pakistan and working abroad speak Balti.

Evolution:

The Balti language has always been at a disadvantage. As mentioned earlier it had to change the script from the original to an artificial one (Persian) which never corresponded with the letters and requirements of the Balti with the result that it lost its standard and Tibetan originality. Its folk-literature is not yet available in written-shape; but continues to be orally transmitted. On the contrary the Balti has been quite promising in the sense of literature in category, aptitude and profundity. It is worth mention here that, despite all handicaps the Balti language has retained may honorific words like all the Tibetan dialects and many other languages.A man from Baltistan,"Ghulam Hassan Lobsang" has great contribution in Balti language.He is the first man who has written a Balti grammar (in Persian version) which of course, a milestone in Balti languge. Below are a few examples:
Ordinary Balti Honorific Ladakhi Meaning
Ata Baba Aba Father
Ano/Amo Zizi Ama Mother
Kaka Kacho Acho Brother (elder)
Bustring Zung Nama Woman / Wife
Momo Jangmocho Ajang Maternal uncle
Nene Nenecho Ane Aunt
Bu Bucho Tugu Son
Fru Nono Busa Boy
Apo Apocho Meme Grandfather
Api Apicho Abi Grandmother
Ashe Ashcho Singmo Sister (elder)
Zo bjes Zo Eat
Thung bjes Thung Drink
Ong Shokhs Yong Come
Zer Kasal-byung Zer Speak/Say
Ngid tong gZim tong Ngid tong Sleep (go to)
Lagpa Phyaq-laq/g Lagpa Hand/Arm
Khyang Yang/Yari-phyaqpo Khyorang You
Kama gzok-po
Leg


Literature:

Though Balti has remained under adverse conditions, even then it has proved to be a very fertile language capable of creating several genres of folk and classical literature. We do not find any prose except proverbs (in hundreds) and some epics and sagas (such as those of King Kesar/Gesar, Rgyalucho-Lo-bZang and Rgyalu-Srasbu and some others), all in oral tradition. All other literature is in verse. Balti literature has adopted numerous persian styles of verse and vocables also wluch have amplified the beauty and melody of its poetry.

Nearly all the languages and dialects of the mountain region in the north of Pakistan including Pashtu, Khowar and Shina belong to the Indic or Iranian language families, but Balti is the only language which belongs to the Tibeto Bureman branch of the Sino-Tibetian group of languages. As such, it has nothing in common with neighboring languages except some loanwords absorbed as a result of linguistic contact. Although Balti is, at the moment, cut off from its sister languages of Ladakh but has 80-90% of nouns, pronouns, verbs and other literary and grammatical character in common. We can, however, term Balti and Bodhi of Ladakh as separate dialects, but not separate languages.

The major issue facing the development of Balti literature is its centuries-long isolation from Tibet, owing to political divisions and strong religious differences and even from its immediate neighbor Ladakh for the last 50 years. Separated from its linguistic kin, Balti is under pressure from more dominant languages such as Urdu. This is compounded by the lack of a suitable means of transcribing the language following the abandonment of its original Tibetan script. At the moment neither the Baltis have the awareness to revive their original script nor there is any institution which could restore it and persuade the people to use it again. Even if the script is revived, it would need modification to express certain Persian and Urdu phonemes that occur in common loanwords within Balti.

The Balti Literature may be categorised as under:

  • Rgya-glu: This can be categorised as a classical one in the folk-verses for its meaning or deepness. It contains romantic songs, elegies, advice, complaints and historical events etc.
  • Rtse-glu:This is a light type of poetry sung while dancing. In this kind of song, different topics and events of life, families and their social or cultural conditions, jokes, etc. are the subject matter.
  • Yurmi-glu: This is a song sung by the women while working or weeding in the fields. In such songs, women recollect their childhood, love and longing for her parents, pleasant or unpleasant experience or feelings about her husband or other relatives.
  • Ridagsi-glu: These are the songs composed in praise of mountain-goats of all sort. Some songs admire the beauty of wild-life, some depict motherhood in these animals for their kids and in some the poets lament the extinction of goats and sheep.
  • Bar-glu: Also called Deewan, this can be described as the medieval stage between the Rgya-glu and the modern poetry (glu). This type of poetry also involves romantic and other general experiences.
  • Glu: This can be described as the mGul-glu as it has only romantic feelings and flavour.
  • Hamd: This is the form of verses in praise of God.
  • Qaseeda: These are verses in praise of Muhammad (saww) and the twelve Imams (as), their family members according to Shia.
  • Marsia: Versed elegy commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as) (the grandson of Muhammad (saww) , the 3rd Imam) in Karbala, other Imams, etc.
  • Noha: These are versed elegies sung with rhythm while the (Shiaite) mourners beat their chests. This category is also attributed to the martyrs of Karbala and other family members of Muhammad (saww).
  • Bahr-e-Taweel: These verses are in long metre and consist of several stanzas of 9 to 14 lines. In this poetry, generally, the mortality of life and other similar topics are explored in a mystic way.
  • Goshwara: This is similar to the Persian or Urdu "Masnavi" Narrative couplets. Usually the dignity and illustrious personalities and deeds of Muhammad and the Imams are narrated.
  • Ghazal: These are the odes of love and romance exactly on the principles of Persian and Urdu Ghazal and Nazm.
  • youq fangsay thalang paqzi na mandoq na mabour na
  • na drolbi laming yani si soq fangse chi thobtook
  • Sa-get-pi-glu: These are the songs praising or encouraging the farmers and agriculturists in modern time.
  • Milli-naghma: These are like Urdu Milli-naghmas.
  • Muhammad Ali Baig c ya gang ma bris pin.

    Vocabulary:

  • The Balti language shares 90% of the vocabulary with the neighboring Ladakhi, as well as with Amdo and Kham dialect of North Eastern Tibet. However, they have adopted words from Shia, Burushakhsi and Persian with the process of Islamization.

    • References:






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