To understand the significance of Nubra valley, one has to travel back several centuries in time. The first recorded history of this area is perhaps the petroglyphs found in the nearby village of Murgi that date back to the Bronze Age (3200 BC to 1200 BC). These are artworks etched forever on stone and record the presence of Bactrian camels, ibexes, horses, bulls, and caravans.
In more recent(!) times, around the 1st millennium CE, Nubra was a prominent stop on the Karakoram Silk Route that connected the Chinese and Roman civilisations. This was a place where weary travellers rested on their way to the Tarim Basin (now northwest China) or Central Asia, and enroute Leh. It was also part of a route used from eastern Ladakh to get directly to Skardu in Baltistan. All this made Nubra a very important pitstop throughout history where cultures, ideas, philosophies and religions were exchanged under the backdrop of the spectacular Himalayan–Karakoram range.
Situated on the southern slopes of the Karakoram range, the village of Kyagar was abundant in alfalfa which made it a fertile grazing land for travellers’ livestock. The word Kyagar can be traced to the original name of the Tegar village in Nubra valley, lDeb-dKar, which means white plateau, possibly referring to the unique landscape in the area. Another folklore holds that the actual name of the village was Ter Gar. The word ‘ter’ means navel as a reference to the navel of a demoness. Regardless of which belief you go with there is absolute consensus that the people of Nubra valley are considered the most warm hearted in Ladakh, as you will discover during your stay with us.