Paul Roberts goes in search of the Brog Pa peoples of northern Ladakh, India

The legends were magnetic: communities of Caucasians in the high Western Himalayas; a direct lineage stretching back three millennia; the lost Aryan nation. By the late 1970's their existence was almost certain, a few had been seen in the Ladakhi capital Leh, but kept to themselves and away from the tourists. We knew where they were supposed to live, but it was deep in the highly sensitive border zone and off-limits to anyone without an Indian army uniform.

Even Hitler found himself caught up in the myth. He sent teams of researchers up the Indus valley during the 1930's to find "The Lost Aryan Race" and prove his theories that they were all blond, blue-eyed Nordic giants. The information they came back with was far removed from his Master Race ideals but it suited their purposes to lie to their leader: the truth was simply too remote for anyone to challenge it.

Much of Ladakh is still restricted and the annual rumours of new areas opening up for once proved to be true. Clutching Inner Line Permit number one we bounced over thick snow and ice in a pair of jeeps for the day-long drive from the Ladakhi capital Leh to Da Hanu. This is the second driest place on the planet and there was little sign of vegetation on the dusty brown hills around us.

The Indus River seen from Kashmir

After many hours of barren windswept plains and snow-bound passes, and many police check points we pulled into Biema, crowded onto a low terrace a few metres above the Indus River. The locals were quick to come out and greet these new visitors and were as interested in us as we were in them. Only a handful had seen outsiders before; they were so isolated that they name for foreigner is "Chilling-pa" - people from Chilling, the nearest Ladakhi town on the Srinagar-Leh road. We were quickly made welcome into the community and settled into our bungalow room, replete with stove and river view, and a steady stream of curious villagers peering around the outer wall.

The Brog-pa (Highlanders) as they call themselves have no written history so everything depends on an oral tradition, which stretches back 4 or 5 centuries. There are a few hints from Herodotus and Alexander the Great but beyond that, nothing. The Brog-pa have no idea where they originally came from, although they look nothing like their neighbours. If anything they are Central European rather than Indian, Kashmiri or Tibetan.

Page 1 | 2