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Ladakh: A Spiritual Journey through a Martian Analog on Earth

Published on 14/05/2025

Spirituality - The American Psychological Association defines the word as "a concern for or sensitivity to things of the spirit or soul," or "a concern for the divine one," or "the state of being incorporeal". While these are academic definitions, personal accounts of what it means and how the feeling can impact people can transcend these definitions.

It all started with the Earth and Space Exploration Program (ESEP-2022). While the journey was supposed to be a scientific one, little did I know about what the heavens had in store for me. Here, let's step back and understand why this journey was so important for me. So like any other professional whose life revolves around a 9-5 schedule, is consumed by a flood of emotional turmoils and crippled by a long and grim pandemic, this trip was a blessing in disguise. So it started on the 9th of July, 2022, and I reached Ladakh on the 10th of July, 2022, after a journey of approximately 24 hours. Was I tired? Of course, but there was something that immediately healed me when I first set foot in Ladakh. Was it an 'Aura'? Was it the start of my journey of ‘Spiritual Awakening’? I am not sure. However, this was exactly what I was going to discover in the coming days.

I am, by nature, a bit of a reserved or, you may say, shy guy. However, I now had a bit of an altered personality (maybe due to that positive Aura) as I was able to establish an instant connection with my fellow crewmates on that day itself. So, the days went by, and I (along with other crew members) continued exploring more of Ladakh until that day!

Our Co-founder, Subhajit Hazra, with the ESEP-2022 crew in Ladakh

Martian analog sites at Saboo, Tsokar, Tsomiriri & Hanle, Leh-Ladakh, India

That day, the crew and I reached the base camp of Tso Kar. At around 4,600 meters, I started to experience health issues and, unfortunately (or fortunately), had to be brought back to Saboo, a village in Ladakh. I met the Dorje family here, where I stayed at their residence turned guest house. The type of greetings, care and love I received from them was inexplicable. Pretty soon, I realized that it was not only a trait of the Dorje family but almost every single person in the village or perhaps of Ladakh itself.

Such behaviour might seem obvious to some, especially since tourism accounts for more than 60% of Ladakh's total revenue. However, such feelings take a turn when you realize how hard life/nature has been for the Ladakhis. More so, it requires a great deal of resilience and compassion (for fellow beings) to shower such hospitality despite having more severe and grave problems to deal with.

The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Hanle, India

On the 5th and 6th of August 2010, the village of Saboo experienced a devastating cloudburst and flash flood. With this, farmland, crops, trees, and houses were flooded and washed away within a few hours. This brought a lot of struggle for the localities there, some of which they are even battling today with courage, ambition, a sense of brotherhood, and a smile on their faces. This was something which had hit me hard, and I started to ruminate about it.

The Awakening

• We, the so-called ‘9-5 workforce’, keep complaining about life, even when we have all the amenities and luxuries to keep ourselves motivated. God knows what we would have done if we had been in such a situational crisis as the Ladhakis. Perhaps our EXISTENCE WOULD COME AT STAKE!

• Nowadays, we rarely come across a community where brotherhood prevails, a place where everyone is deemed to be equal, and a place where elders (and fellow beings) are respected. Such a serene and sincere outlook in the Ladhakis caught my attention and got me thinking, ARE WE CIVILIZED ENOUGH?

And the list would have continued had I had the opportunity to spend a few more days with these beautiful people. However, as it was a planned trip, I had my limits set. Nevertheless, now, more than ever, if there’s any place I would like to visit next, it would be LADAKH AGAIN!

So, what about the Aura? Yes, I know, that’s something you must have been pondering. To be frank, even I could not decipher it myself, except that I now had a bit of an altered personality that gave me enough confidence to establish an instant connection with those I met henceforth.

Maybe, that’s what, I think, would KEEP THE CALL ALIVE in me to REVISIT LADAKH.

References

1. APA Dictionary of Psychology [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2022 Aug. 16]. Available from: https://dictionary.apa.org/spirituality

2. Wangchuk RN. I’m From Ladakh & Here’s Why I Think Ladakhis Must Move Beyond Tourism For Income [Internet]. [cited 2022 Aug. 16]. Available from: https://www.thebetterindia.com/230625/ladakh-coronavirus-covid19-effect-tourism-guest-house-hotels-income-alternatives-business-farming-nor41/

3. Kumar M. Saboo, the Model Village [Internet]. [cited 2022 Aug. 16]. Available from: https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/saboo-the-model-village/

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