Dah (also known as Dha) and Hanu are two villages of the Brokpa of the Leh District of the Indian union territory of Ladakh.[2][3] Until 2010, these were the only two villages where tourists were allowed to visit out of a number of Brokpa villages.

Dah Hanu
Twin Villages
Dah Hanu is located in Ladakh
Dah Hanu
Dah Hanu
Location in Ladakh, India
Dah Hanu is located in India
Dah Hanu
Dah Hanu
Dah Hanu (India)
Coordinates: 34°36′N 76°30′E / 34.60°N 76.50°E / 34.60; 76.50
CountryIndia
Union TerritoryLadakh
DistrictLeh
TehsilKhalsi[1]
Population
 (2011)
 • Total1,816
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)

The two villages situated in the Dha Hanu valley, also known as Aryan valley, about 163 km northwest of Leh in Ladakh. Being at a lower altitude, Dha and Hanu is warmer than Leh, allowing for the cultivation of wine-grapes and cherries as well as apricots and walnuts.[4]

The Brokpa people of Dah Hanu are nominally Buddhist but also worship their own animist pantheon of gods. They converted to Buddhism in the mid-nineteenth century.[5] They have an Indo-European appearance in contrast to the predominant Tibeto-Mongol inhabitants of most of Ladakh.[4] According to popular belief, the Brokpas were part of the army of Alexander the Great and came to the region over two thousand years ago[6][7]

"Some households still practice polyandry...it is the groom who pays the bride price. Women have rights of divorce."[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Villages | District Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh | India". Archived from the original on 29 June 2019.
  2. ^ "In Pictures: The last Aryans". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 26 January 2023. They live in the villages of Dha and Hanu (commonly called as Dhahanu).
  3. ^ Jina, Prem Singh (2009). Cultural Heritage of Ladakh Himalaya. Gyan Publishing House. pp. 53–176. ISBN 978-81-7835-745-4.
  4. ^ a b "Dha Hanu route intro". www.himalayabybike.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  5. ^ Nicolaus, Peter (2015). "Residues of Ancient Beliefs among the Shin in the Gilgit-Division and Western Ladakh". Iran & the Caucasus. 19 (3): 201–264. doi:10.1163/1573384X-20150302. ISSN 1609-8498. JSTOR 43899199.
  6. ^ "Dha-Hanu in Ladakh | Dha-Hanu Tour | Dha-Hanu Map | Dha-Hanu Weather | Dha-Hanu Photos | Travel.india.com". www.india.com. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. ^ "In Pictures: The last Aryans". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  8. ^ "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2004. Retrieved 27 September 2015.