Ladakh, the word itself creates a very different perspective of scenarios, mystery, unknown land, & people who’ve been there would agree that it is mystical.
Out of the several phenomenal places in Leh, Ladakh, there is one that has created a powerful charm.
A small stretch of road, approx. 30km from Leh lies Magnetic Hill of Ladakh. Located on the Leh-Kargil Highway, this very destination attracts a huge number of visitors for its unusual presence.
It is said that the hill has a magnetic charge, which has led to the traveler’s experience of the car being pulled towards it.
Numerous visitors have felt that their car moved approx 20km/hr after they put it on neutral. This road is popularly named as “road to heaven” because of the gravitational Experiences.
This stretch of road is surrounded by scenic hills from either side. At the start of the hill, there is a yellow box with a sign by the BRO.
One needs to park the vehicle on an exact spot to witness the mystical magnetic abilities of a car pulling uphill.
Plan a trip to this paradise and experience a captivating phenomenon that will blow your mind and make you think twice of what just happened.
Magnetic Hill Leh Mystery
This strange phenomenon has the support of many versions & theories. Everyone has explained their stories and the locals believe a completely different reality of it.
They claim that it is supernatural and a force that is beyond science.
You might ask yourself, did my car just move?
What just happened?
Why is it like we’re pulled towards the hill even after keeping the car neutral. Long gone are the days where tourists relied on the myth and theories that locals explained.
The Myth about Magnetic Hill
Source: ashwinkumar – Under Creative Commons license
The belief of cars being pulled uphill has strongly become one major reason for travelers to visit this destination.
More so that the airplanes that fly above, increase their altitude during this spot only to not get affected by the gravitational pull.
Isn’t it an incredible story of India that the road attracts heavy vehicles and pulls it towards the steep slope? But is it what it looks and feels like?
While asking the locals, they will tell you a story of the place being a road to heaven in the past.
They were told by their ancestors that there was a road once that took us to heaven, but not for all. Deserving people were pulled up here, however, those who weren’t didn’t feel a thing.
No matter how hard they tried to be taken away from mother earth, they were left, without feeling a thing.
The myth has long gone, but it is still one of the magical stories you will hear when you ask a local about the path to heaven.
It might give you chills for a second and to some point your mind may wish to believe it because the passion in the storytelling is too strong and convincing.
The people living there still believe in the place being supernatural with power & extraordinary forces. So, is it a supernatural destination that can be a driveway to heaven?
Is the Magnetic Hill Leh Real
It is not a completely unrealistic story, the things you have heard about the car being moved is true.
If you are at the right spot, where a yellow mark is given by BRO, your vehicle will move even if you have stopped the engine.
So yes! It does work but how it works and why does it feel like we’re moving uphill has a different reality to it.
The Reality
The concept of optical illusion might go above our head, but it is what explains the magnetic hill in India.
Simply, it depicts “you see something that is not real” in this case “you see things that are happening in a way you don’t know why”.
In reality, one can observe the concept of optical illusion at this magnetic Hill. There is a scientific reason why tourists believed that their car was being pulled uphill when on neutral.
The magnetic hill is a slight downhill road that appears in our eyes as an uphill slope. That’s because of the obstructed horizon that contributes to being an illusional part.
Our mind is used to rely on the horizon as a way to guess the slope being straight or slant. And not having one has contributed a bigger part of this place to become mystically popular.
This is the reason why a car when on neutral, moves downhill and not uphill. For people not knowing the reality believes that the magnetic pull of a vehicle such that it moves upward. Strange but True!
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Theory Explained
Locals and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have claimed that they need to fly to a greater altitude while passing above the supernatural hill.
Now that we know the reality, it is simple to explain and decode the reason. In reality, flying an airplane is the same, as pilots in the sky cannot see the horizon.
Just like how we don’t see it from down while on the magnetic Hill. And if there were no electronic components or gadgets, even pilots wouldn’t know if they were flying straight, downwards or upwards.
Location
This beautiful spot is located on the Srinagar Leh highway and it is about 28km from Leh city, and 190 km from Kargil destination.
With an elevation of 14,000 feet above sea level, and on the east side of the hill flows the magnificent Sindhu river, originating its root from Tibet.
Interestingly, the local of the spot has added a big billboard on the road for travelers to identify the spot easily.
Best time to visit
The roads to Ladakh via Srinagar, Manali are closed from November to May, that’s because heavy snowfall, landslides, roadblock are pretty common.
The only way you can reach out to this destination during these months is probably through the airway to Leh.
The best time to visit this destination is from June to October.
The roads are clear through the month, the weather being perfectly adorable for you to explore the latter part of Ladakh too including Magnetic Hill.
These months are going to give you some breathtaking view, vivid colors & a vision so well defined as heaven on earth.
In addition to it, the road to the magnetic hill is usually open in the winter season too. So, if you wish to plan a trip specifically to witness this beauty, winter can also be a month to unravel the beauty.
However, it is very important to ask yourself, whether you are prepared to endure the coldest weather of Ladakh, and whether you wish to witness the white beauty of Leh Ladakh or not?
How to Reach
Source: ashwinkumar – Under Creative Commons license
Bless with magnetic mystic abilities and supernatural beauty, this place is where travelers choose to stop and experience time to add in their memories.
Many ways can make you reach this destination. Talking about routes by road, there are 2 possible ways to reach, here’s how:
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Route 1: Leh – Kargil – Srinagar National Highway
Ask anyone the ideal route and this route is what they’ll prefer. The roads are extremely smooth and don’t take much of your time traveling.
27 km from Leh town towards Kargil, on the Leh – Kargil – Srinagar National Highway.
There is an exceptional beauty to unravel on this route, views that will blow your mind, the jaw-dropping valley, and the scenery are unmatched.
This road is pretty straight forward and not much of a challenge.
Route 2: Srinagar > Kargil > magnetic Hill
This is another route that starts from Srinagar, via Kargil and towards Magnetic Hill. Reaching to the magnetic hill takes approx.
400km from Srinagar and 200km from Kargil. This route will give you chills, the tuns, and twist, mystical valley everything sums up to make your journey worth remembering.
Where to Stay
The most important thing to understand here is, the magnetic hill is just a small patch of road that takes you through a route.
It is not a destination or a place to explore, it is chosen to be visited for its “believed to have magnetic powers”.
However, the nearest place one can find a shelter to sleep and relax is in Leh itself. You can get great deals of hotels, guest houses, homestays, and other options too at Leh as it is a popular spot for tourists to make it as a base location.
Also, it is best for a day trip to the magnetic hill, being a barren land there is not much to explore.
You can explore this place the same day you are going to explore other places in Sham Valley. Thus, when planning for a staying option, only consider Leh as your resting spot.
Where to Eat
Visiting Ladakh would want you to witness and experience the authentic dishes and flavors of the place.
Tibetan food is what you will find in most of the food shops and it is a must to try out dishes. If you want to please your taste buds with exotic Ladakhi food, you must visit Nimmu village.
There are plenty of food shops and stalls that offer ultimate authentic food to blow your mind and enjoy the exotic flavors of Tibet.
The very famous Tibetan samosas are also one thing that you will love to eat non stop while visiting Leh, Ladakh.
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Medical Facilities
Magnetic Hills are at a very high altitude of about 14,000 feet, this is a result of why travelers may face breathing issues, at times blood pressure fluctuation too.
The nearest most accessible medical facilities are definitely at Leh. There are doctors & medicines available at Leh where you can rely on and buy stuff.
However, it is very important to carry a medical kit along with you, as the latitude sickness and high and low altitude routes like an adrenaline rush can impact your health. Having basic medications alongside will bring you no harm.
Mobile Connectivity and Internet around Magnetic Hill
BSNL along with the Airtel and JIO number works pretty well, you will get a good signal at Leh.
However, other networks do not get any connection easily, in fact, they don’t get any connection. BSNL has majorly covered the area and become the widest covering network in Ladakh.
Furthermore, Reliance Jio has also started its operation in the year 2018.
It is still advisable not to rely on mobile connectivity. It is great to keep your dear one back at home updated about your day to day itinerary.
They will then have peace of mind they are unable to reach you. The best part of having low mobile connectivity is, you are connected more to nature and enjoy, relishing your time in the lapse of this gorgeous mystic beauty.
Petrol Pump & ATM
One can fuel their petrol up completely at Leh as there are petrol pump facilities available here.
While you are about to embark upon the journey towards the magnetic hill and other local places in the sham valley, you can fuel up your petrol and then start exploring.
There are many places that you can cover in a single day with full petrol. Places like Basgo Pains, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Nimmu Village, as well as vivid monasteries at Leh like Alchi and Likir.
Do not rely on buying petrol from local shops as the quality of it is not worth it. If you are in an emergency and do not have any extra or spare fuel, that’s when you can buy it from the locals
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Useful Information about Magnetic Hill
You must be wondering “is a permit required to visit the magnetic hill, Leh?
There are ample of places in Ladakh, India that require one to have an Inner Line Permit for domestic travelers and a Protected Area Permit for International ones.
Thus, travelers who are new to the paces assume that visiting this piece of land requires a permit too. Magnetic Hill or called otherwise Gravity Hill Ladakh is free to visit for all.
Which means, be it a local, domestic traveler or a foreign visitor. You are not required to seek permission first before visiting this place.
This gives us one good reason to enjoy a trip to magnetic hill hassle-free, without worrying about preparing in advance the procedure to gain permission and paying a fee.
Live the moment and enjoy your time at this spot, see how nature can tangle your mind and let you see visions that are far beyond reality.
Tips to visit Magnetic Hill
- Before you embark upon the journey towards this destination, bear in mind that a doctor consultation is important. The journey can be tough and tedious and so learning about whether or not your body is used to such extreme weather and an unusual journey is needful.
- Even the most experienced travelers will tell you about the impact of acute mountain sickness, so be prepared with a first aid kit as the altitude gets vertiginous.
- Make sure that you give yourself some time and breath normally to acclimatize while you reach Leh.
- While you visit the magnetic hill, there is a beautiful location to stop by and explore Gurudwara Pathar Sahib. This spot lies at a distance of about 23km from Leh, built in the early 16th century, and a must to visit the spot to explore the historical charisma of the location.
- There is not much of a food facility near the magnetic hill, so it is best to have a one-day trip planned for this journey and visit other locations too in Sham Valley.
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Witness the Magical Magnetic Power of the Mountain at Magnetic Hill Ladakh
Ladakh is popular for its notorious terrain, barren landscape, high altitude lake & rich enchanting monasteries.
It has also been stored in Magnetic hill, to become a part of its popularity to visit places in Leh Ladakh Itinerary.
The magnetic hill has attracted many tourists, literally just to experience its natural gravity stories, and be a part of this shocking reality.
With varied stories and theories laid down by the people about the spot. It is worth visiting and experiencing all by yourself.
There is nothing better than exploring the hidden gems of Ladakh. Unravel and witness the illusion and fall in love with how convincing your mind gets when the gravity shows its magic.
How was your experience the first time you witnessed magnetic hills wonder?
Did you experience a shock and what came in your mind after knowing the reality behind the gravity?
We would love to know what you think about Magnetic Hill in Ladakh. Do not forget to share your experience and queries in the comment section, we’d love to hear it from you.
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