Turtuk, the village on the India-Pak border, is where the clichés stop and fantasies begin

Turtuk, the last village on the India-Pak border, is where the clichés stop and fantasies begin

Frankly, ‘Turtuk’ had a nice ring to it. The Muslim town on the edge of India’s border, sounded exotic, romantic – almost perfect. But in Kashmir, heading to a place seven kilometres from the Line of Control, isn’t like hopping on a train.

For one thing, there are no trains, only shared taxies that ply the 120 kilometres from Leh to Diskit for Rs 400 per person, after which Turtuk is 100 km away. For another, the area wasn’t a part of India until 1971. Until last year, Indians needed a permit to visit.

Turtuk-Living-on-the-edge