Purne Village

Purne Village is a small remote settlement in the Lungnak Valley of Zanskar, Ladakh, situated at the confluence of the Tsarap and Kargyak rivers at about 3,800 meters altitude. It is best known as the base village for the trek to Phuktal Monastery, one of Zanskar's most revered Buddhist monasteries. The village offers traditional Zanskari architecture, homestays and stark Himalayan landscapes.

Visitors can expect a small, isolated Himalayan village with traditional whitewashed stone houses, prayer flags, chortens and mani walls set in a stark valley surrounded by barren mountains and river confluence. The settlement has basic homestays, guesthouses and campsites, small tea houses and narrow unpaved lanes. Most visitors use Purne as a stopover or base to trek to Phuktal Monastery (about 1-2 hours walk), enjoy riverside walks, photography and experiencing local Zanskari Buddhist lifestyle.

Purne has historically served as an inhabited settlement in the isolated Lungnak Valley of Zanskar and as the traditional access village for Phuktal Monastery, founded in the 12th century around a cave believed to have been visited by early Buddhist sages. The village lies on historic trekking and trade routes connecting Zanskar with Lahaul and Himachal Pradesh via Shingo La.

The village reflects traditional Zanskari Tibetan Buddhist culture with whitewashed houses, prayer flags, chortens and mani walls. Residents practice Tibetan Buddhism, subsistence agriculture and yak herding, and maintain close religious and cultural ties to Phuktal Monastery which serves as the spiritual centre for the Lungnak Valley.