Tso Moriri
or Moriri Lake is the biggest high elevation lake in the Trans-Himalayan region. Moriri Lake is positioned in the Changthang region of Jammu & Kashmir state. The lake water is fed by springs and snow melt from the mountains in the Changthang plateau. The two major sources of water entering into the lake are situated in north and southwest respectively. Korzok monastery is positioned on the west bank of the Tso Moriri Lake.Tso Moriri Lake
Tso Moriri is covered by snow rapped mountains and it is slightly off the Manali-Leh road. A sandy road passing through the Rupshu Valley leads to Tso Moriri. One can also access Tso Moriri directly from the Pangong Tso via the Changtang plateau. The distance between the two is 235 kilometers and there is no petrol pump in the mid way.
The best time to visit Tso Moriri is between May to September as it gets frozen in winters. Located in the ancient village, on the western bank of the Tso Moriri Lake, Korzok Monastery is a Tibetan monastery that belongs to the Drukpa Lineage. The monastery is around 400 years old and attracts a large number of Buddhist pilgrims and tourists.
The lake is an important breeding point for avifauna species and as many as 34 species of birds including 14 species of water birds such as Black-necked Cranes endangered, Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, Brown-headed Gulls, Great Crested Grebe and Bar-headed Geese .
The region has ample amount of wildlife which include the famous Ladakhi Bharal, also known as Blue Sheep, and the Himalayan mountain goat. Other rare animals which can be spotted here include snow leopard, lynx and grey wolves.
The two days long Korzok Gustor festival, which takes place in the 6th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, attracts many Changpa nomads and tourists. The ceremony symbolizes the victory of good over evil and pays homage to the assassination of a traitor Tibetan king by a Buddhist monk. The festival ends with the dispersal of the 'Storma' by the Black Hat dancers leader at a ceremony known as 'Argham'.