Skardu BaltistanTravel and Tourism

Deosai Skardu: The Land Of Giants?

In this article, we’ll provide you some necessary information about Deosai. Deosai Plains are at an altitude of 13,000 feet, this is one among the very best high altitude plains anywhere in the world, is situated near Skardu, the largest district of Gilgit Baltistan.

Where is Deosai?

Well, Deosai National Park is about 45 kilometers far away from Skardu Airport. This park if not only famous for its natural beauty and for being up-north but the pride of this plain is its second position amongst the very best and highest plateaus in the world.

Deosai has more to offer than simply the geographical location and scenery, Deosai is located on the boundary of the Karakorum and Western Himalayas, which is what makes it even more exciting for tourists. This place is home for Himalayan brown bears as well.

What the meaning of Deosai

Deosai is a combination of two words of Balti language; ‘Deo’ (giant) and ‘Sai’ (shadow), local peoples say that it means ‘the Land of Giants. Legend has it that the world was once inhabited by an enormous giant who attempted to “cultivate crops and churn butter.”

Deosai features a deafening silence, a silence spanning over centuries, the silence is so deep that one can hear his own heartbeat unless a marmot’s whistle fills the silent environment.

Indeed, the Deosai Plains are truly majestic and magical. The soil of this area is coarse in nature because it may be a mixture of gravel and stones of various sizes. In flat areas between the mountains, the soil is deep with marshy vegetation. Locals say that the temperature sometimes falls to -50 degrees Celsius in the winter season.

Summer Place

You know, Balti people also call Deosai ‘Ghbiarsa’ or ‘Summer Place’ — this is often because Deosai is merely accessible in summer. The Deosai Plains accessible between mid-June and late September. In winter, only a few can cross the world thanks to heavy snowfall and unbearable cold.

In Deosai, there are natural lakes scattered everywhere on the plateau but it’s the Sheosar Lake that’s described by locals as a natural wonder of the planet.

Sheosar the beautiful Lake

The word “Sheosar” may be a combination of two words within the local Shina language — ‘’Sheo’’ means ‘blind’ and ‘Sar’ means ‘lake’. The deep blue water, with snow-covered mountains within the backdrop, and greenery with wildflowers in the foreground offer such mesmerizing views in summer.

When you cross the bridge at ”Baraa Paani” there’s a road towards the “Sheosar Lake”. This lake is one of the very beautiful lakes in the world. Situated at the Astore-Deosai road, the Sheosar Lake is described as a “blind lake” since it doesn’t feed the other.

The length of the lake is nearly 1.8 kilometers; at its widest point, the lake is nearly 2.3 kilometers wide. The depth of the lake varies from one point to the opposite, and its sharp inclines in various places. The average depth of the whole lake is merely 40 meters.

Perfect Picnic Spot in Summer

The Deosai park is renowned for its vast plains covered with lush wild grass, beautiful flowers and various beautiful lakes. Sheosar Lake makes a perfect picnic spot and native authorities offer camping facilities for tourists to spend an evening under the sky next to the pristine waters.

The road runs at an average altitude of 4,114 meters (13,497 feet) above the sea level. The road to Deosai is 4×4 only. It’s accessible only in summers.

Read also: A brief history of union council Katisho

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