Hot Springs Kyam | |
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Border checkpost | |
Coordinates: 34°17′58″N78°57′00″E / 34.2994°N 78.9501°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Union territory | Ladakh |
District | Leh |
Elevation | 4,700 m (15,400 ft) |
Hot Springs (traditional name: Kyam [2] ) is a campsite and the location of an Indian border outpost in the Chang Chenmo River valley in Ladakh near the disputed border with China. It is so named because there is a hot spring at this location. [2] The Line of Actual Control near Kongka Pass is only 3 kilometres (2 mi) to the east. [3]
Historically, the name for the hot spring was Kyam [2] (Kiam, Kayam [4] ). The Chinese still refer to it by this name. [5]
Geologist Frederic Drew states that the Chang Chenmo river flows on a barren gravel bed, with occasional alluvial patches where vegetation is found. Hot Springs is one such location. In the vicinity are also other such patches, named Pamzal, Tsogtsalu (or Tsolu) and Gogra. They were historical halting places for travellers and trading caravans, with a supply of water, fuel and fodder. Nomadic Ladakhi graziers also used them for grazing cattle. [6]
A large tributary called Kugrang joins the Chang Chenmo River near Hot Springs. Gogra is in the valley of the Kugrang River, northwest of Hot Springs. The Changlung River flows in from the northeast to join Kugrang at this location. [6] [7] [8]
According to the Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak, there are "celebrated" hot springs at Kyam, which were visited by the Ladakhis of the Pangong district and the Tibetans of the Rudok district. The water had a temperature of 179 °F (82 °C) in August and was suffused with soda and sulphur. The local people believed that it was beneficial for ailments like rheumatism. [9] The springs are believed to arise from the geological fault represented by the Changchenmo Valley, which separates the Paleozoic, Triassic and Jurassic rocks of the Karakoram range to the north from the older Paleozoic rocks to the south. [10] [lower-alpha 1]
Within India, it is reachable via Tsogtsalu, which is further connected to mainland India via two motorable roads, the "Phobrang-Marsimik La-Tsogtsalu-Hot Springs Road" (PMTHR) or "Marsimik La Road" via Phobrang-Marsimik La-Tsogstsalu to Hot Springs, [12] [13] [14] and via the other alternate route the 55 km long "Changchenmo-Tsogtsalu Road" (CTR) from confluence of Changchenmo & Shyok River to Tsogtsalu. [15]
In the late 1800s, the Maharaja Ranbir Singh at the request of the British made improvements to the trails and facilities of the Gogra campsite in order to improve trade with Yarkand. [16] The valley was also a popular hunting spot for British officers on leave. [8] [17]
In Autumn 1959, the Kongka Pass incident occurred near here. At the time, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel [lower-alpha 2] were given the mandate of constructing this camp. [3] During the construction, the scouting team was captured by the PLA who had advanced to Kongka Pass since the previous years. On 21 October, the search team tasked to find the missing scouts encountered the Chinese and were caught in a firefight. That led to the death of 9 members during the firefight and 1 member later due to his injuries. [lower-alpha 3] [4] [20] They have been since honored as martyrs by the law enforcement in India annually on this day. In the 1960s, a Police Memorial was erected here at Hot Springs. [21]
Hot Springs, Chang Chenmo Valley | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | (基阿姆)溫泉 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | (基阿姆)温泉 | ||||||
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Gogra (also referred to as Nala Junction) is a pasture and campsite in the Ladakh union territory of India, near the Line of Actual Control with China. It is located in the Kugrang River valley, a branch valley of Chang Chenmo Valley, where the Changlung River flows into Kugrang. During the times of the British Raj, Gogra was a halting spot for travellers to Central Asia via the 'Chang Chenmo route', who proceeded through the Changlung river valley and the Aksai Chin plateau.
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Tsogtsalu or Tsolu is a pasture and campsite in the Ladakh union territory of India, in the Chang Chenmo Valley close India's border with China. It is located at the confluence of the Rimdi Chu river that flows down from Marsemik La and the Chang Chenmo River. During the British Raj, this was a halting spot for travellers to Central Asia via the 'Chang Chenmo route', passing through Aksai Chin. After Indian independence, a border outpost was established here by a border police party headed by Captain Karam Singh. It continues to serve as a base for India's border forces.
Gogra and Kyam"" In the Changchenmo valley near the halting place Gogra (Gokra) and Kyam (Kium) hot springs are numerous. ... The spring at Kyam has a temperature of 147°F.
(p. 22) Karam Singh of ITBF was assigned the task of establishing outposts near the Chinese Occupation Line ... "Hot Springs" was barely three Km far from the site where Chinese Army had intruded.
[Chinese interrogation of Karam Singh] We established a checkpost at Kayam and we had to establish one at Shamul Lungpa. On 20th October, 1959, our two men missed. On the morning of 21st October 1959 Tyagi took 60 men and reached the hill (battle field). ... [Indian debriefing of Karam Singh] we had inadequate cover and the Chinese were in a favourable position ... five of us were made to carry the dead body of a Chinese soldier who had been killed.
基阿姆温泉建立哨所
The Changlung stream joins the Kugrang near Gogra
(p. 33) 'Kiam' and 'Gogra' located near bottom of last map insert ... (p. 37) Chang Chenmo is now well known, being visited every year by at least half-a-dozen officers on long leave to Kashmir. The game to be found...
(p. 23) From Gogra there are two routes to Shadula in Yarkand (p. 33) Every endeavour has been made to improve the Changchenmo route--serais having been built at some places, and depots of grain established as far as Gogra
To the memory of THE NINE POLICEMEN (capitalization in text) who were killed by the Chinese near Hotsprings in Ladakh on October 21, 1959, and who, by their supreme sacrifice, made the country aware of the true nature of Communist China.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link)Fighting gallantly nine men laid down their lives and ten were wounded. Later on, one of the injured also succumbed to his injuries. ... Seven men were taken Prisoners of War by PLA
(p. 17) Ceremonial Homage being paid at Hot Springs Memorial in 1960's (p. 18) The day 21st Oct is befittingly observed as "Police Commemoration Day" and every year, members of police forces from different parts of the country trek to Hot Springs which is currently manned by ITBP to pay homage to the brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice on 21st October 1959.