“If you can do come and see where the Indian Army fought for your tomorrow.” These were the words of Kargil's war hero, the Late Capt. Vijayant Thapar in the last letter to his father before he died fighting in the war. Kargil has a special place in the heart of all Indians. This is where the brave hearts of the armed forces fought in inhospitable conditions to protect these blessed lands. Late last year, we at Car&bike were fortunate enough to visit the place as part of the 2022 Hyundai Great India drive.
The 6th edition of the Hyundai Great India Drive was flagged off from Srinagar.
This time around the idea was to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence in Kargil. And to take us there was the flagship of the Korean brand in India – the all-new feature-laden Tucson. Unlike previous editions, this time the first few days involved driving in a convoy. The journey was flagged off from Srinagar and we started moving towards Kargil. Leaving the city and traffic behind, we hit the winding roads soon enough. And it wasn’t long before we encountered fresh snow in Sonmarg.
The beautiful hill station of Sonamarg was our first pit stop on the Great India drive.
The place had just received a spell of snowfall and it was looking beautiful. It was fun playing with the Tucson on virgin snow, but the real challenge was soon to start as we got ready to begin our ascent towards the dreaded and mighty Zojila Pass. It is notorious to say the least, especially during the winter when it is covered with snow. It's narrow, it's slippery and the ascent at many places is quite steep. Temperatures mostly stay in the negative and weather permitting only one-way traffic is allowed.
The Hyundai Tucson was ready for all the challenges while climbing the mighty Zojila.
The Zojila may not even make the list of the 10 highest mountain passes in India, but it is probably the most dangerous. It tests both the man and machine in many ways, but the Hyundai Tucson was up for it, be it with its HTRAC system with terrain modes or heated seats. The Snow mode did come to our rescue on more than one occasion. On paper, a height of 11,649 feet isn’t very intimidating but once you drive through the pass and reach the top, you understand why it is so feared. Landslides, as well as blizzards, are quite common here especially when it is covered in snow.
ZojiLa remains closed every winter for 4-5 months cutting off Ladakh from the rest of the country.
The pass remains closed every winter for 4-5 months cutting off Ladakh from the rest of the country for a significant period each year, which is why the upcoming tunnel being constructed under the pass at breakneck speeds is crucial as it will help provide all-weather connectivity to this remote region up in the North. Apart from the people who live in Ladakh, it will immensely benefit the armed forces in ensuring faster supplies in these border areas.
The Kargil War Memorial is located in the town of Drass.
The contrast was very evident once the convoy of Hyundai Tucson descended in Ladakh. The green mountains of Kashmir gave way to the barren landscapes and our first stop on this side of the pass was the War Memorial built in Drass in honour of armed forces personnel who lost their lives fighting in the War. It is a living testimony of what happened in these areas in 1999. Stories of courage and valour are on display here and the sense of gratitude only goes up once you spend some time at this place.
An hour’s drive from the war memorial lies the town of Kargil. It is very close to the Line of Control along the Suru river and mostly acts as a pit stop for travellers going to Leh and Zanskar but as we discovered on this Great India drive the place has much to offer visually, culturally and historically. We re-started the drive in the Hyundai Tucson towards another mountain pass. This one is called Namika La and in comparison to Zojila was a breeze.
NamikaLa is the first mountain pass that comes on the road to Leh from Kargil.
Barely a few kms after getting down from the pass, we start climbing Fotula, another high-altitude pass. Once again the roads were fantastic, and the views were breathtaking. Climbing mountain passes was even more fun in a car like the Tucson. The car that I was driving was the Diesel version which meant I had a big powerful engine and an ample amount of torque at my disposal. The ride quality too is fantastic so you can travel for long hours without getting tired, and when it comes to handling this car is brilliant so you can throw it around corners on these winding roads and just not get disappointed. These lovely roads seemed perfect for a long driving holiday. Ladakh is a remote, yet beautiful part of the country and it is best enjoyed in the comforts of a car like the Hyundai Tucson. 
At 13,478 feet FotuLa is also the highest point on the Srinagar-Leh Road.
Reaching the Fotula top hardly took any time. At 13,478 feet this is also the highest point on the Srinagar-Leh Road and the highest point we would touch on the GID. Descending from the pass we reached Lamayuru, one of the oldest Monasteries anywhere in Ladakh. It deserves a visit especially if you’re travelling between Leh and Srinagar by road. The small village surrounding the monastery is also a pretty sight.
Lamayuru is one of the oldest Monasteries anywhere in Ladakh.
Another such sight or shall we say no sight is the Invisible village. Yes, you read that right. Zbayul lies just off the national highway and is called the Invisible village as it is located behind a deep gorge and suddenly reveals itself as you approach it. Legend has it that back in the day, even the enemy forces bypassed this village as they simply couldn’t spot it.
A beautiful sight just outside the town is the unique cave monastery in Shargole.
Many signs of Buddhism are evident around Kargil. Another beautiful sight just outside the town is the unique cave monastery in Shargole. It is built on a cliff and looks quite like an architectural marvel. And then there was the Rock carved statue of Lord Buddha in Kartsey Khar village on the road to Zanskar, again a place not to be missed.
The village of Hunderman along the LoC now lies abandoned.
Our final destination on this trip was another unique village near Kargil. It was the top of the world indeed as a narrow, winding and steep road leading to it. And the first view of Hunderman is unlike anything we had seen till then. The now abandoned village offers clear views of areas on the other side of the fence. This war-torn village is located right on the Line of Control and was liberated by India in 1971. Another story that makes us want to celebrate our great democracy at 75. It really was the perfect way for us to culminate the latest edition of the Hyundai Great India drive.
Photography By: Apoorv Choudhary
