Shyok or Shayok is a village on the bank of the

Shyok River The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that flows through northern Ladakh and enters Gilgit–Baltistan, spanning some . The Shyok River originates at the Rimo Glacier, one of the tongues of Siachen Glacier. Its alignment is very ...

in Durbuk

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

Leh district Leh district is a district in the union territory of Ladakh, India. With an area of 45,110 ''km'2'', it is the second largest district in the country smaller only to Kutch. It is bounded on the north by Gilgit-Baltistan's Kharmang and Gha ...

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu a ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. It is located at the southern tip of the V-shaped course of the Shyok River, where the Tangtse river joins it from the left. Historically, the winter caravan route from

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former ...

Yarkand Yarkant County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also Shache County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also transliterated from Uyghur as Yakan County, is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomou ...

passed through the village. In modern times, India's strategic road to its border post at

Daulat Beg Oldi Daulat Beg Oldi (also Oldie, DBO) is a traditional campsite and current military base located in the midst of the Karakoram Range in northern Ladakh, India. It is on the historic trade route between Ladakh and Central Asia, forming the last cam ...

uses the same route.

Geography

Shyok is connected to Durbuk, 16 km to the south, and Agham, 47 km to the north, via the Agam-Shyok-Durbuk Road, Durbuk is further connected to both

and Pangong via the Kharu-Pangong Road. A northwest road connects it beyond Agham to Khalsar 73 km,

Diskit Diskit is a village and headquarter of the Nubra tehsil and the Nubra subdivision in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.Panamik Panamic or Panamik is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh in India. It is located in the Nubra tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is ...

120 km and

Sasoma Sasoma is a settlement in Nubra Valley, Ladakh consisting of villages such as the Gya village. A road is being constructed from Sasoma to Saser La by the Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction ex ...

133 km, along the Shyok River valley.

Caravan route

Till 1937, between Ladakh and

Kashgar Kashgar ( ug, قەشقەر, Qeshqer) or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is an oasis city in the Tarim Basin region of Southern Xinjiang. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan ...

(in

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

) on Shyok-DBO route via

Karakoram Pass The Karakoram Pass () is a mountain pass between India and China in the Karakoram Range. It is the highest pass on the ancient caravan route between Leh in Ladakh and Yarkand in the Tarim Basin. 'Karakoram' literally means 'Black Gravel' i ...

there were frequent trade caravans.

Strategic role

Shyok has geostrategic importance as it is the last Indian village on the 235 km long

Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road The Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road (DS-DBO Road/DSDBO Road), also called the Sub-Sector North Road, is a strategic all-weather road in eastern Ladakh in India, close to the Line of Actual Control with China. It connects Ladakh's capital city Leh, v ...

in the north which connects it to

(DBO) military post 225 km away on the China border. Shyok to BDO area is also called Sub-Sector North (SSN) by the

Indian Military The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...

, and civilians are not allowed to travel from Shyok to DBO.India completes vital Ladakh road
The Tribune, 23 April 2019.
Hindustan Times, 9 July 2020.

Sasoma–Saser La Road The Sasoma– Sasser La Road or the Sasoma–Saser Pass Road is a road reportedly being built in Ladakh between Nubra and Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO). Being constructed at a height of by the Border Roads Organisation under Project Himank, despite the ...

will provide alternative connectivity to DBO.

References

{{Leh district Villages in Durbuk tehsil

Geography

Caravan route

Strategic role

See also

References