Dras

Traditionally, Dras is known as Hem-babs, which means "snow land"; the word "Hem" means snow.^{[citation needed]}

Dras is often called "The Gateway to Ladakh". It is at a height of 10,800 feet (3,300 m).^[2] Dras lies in the centre of the valley of the same name. Dras is 140 km from Srinagar and 63 km from Sonmarg. Kargil town is 58 km from Dras on the national highway NH 1 from Srinagar to Leh.

In the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (1846–1947), Dras was part of the Kargil tehsil of the Ladakh wazarat.^[5]

During the invasion by Pakistan in 1947-48, the reinforced Gilgit Scouts, having gone over to Pakistan, attacked the Kargil area on 10 May 1948. The Indian army, by then in charge of defending Kashmir, sent reinforcements. However, they could not reach Dras in time and Dras fell to the Gilgitis on 6 June 1948. Kargil and Skardu also fell in short order.^[6] In November 1948, the Indian Army launched Operation Bison, supported by tanks, and retook Dras and Kargil. Skardu, however, remained under the control of Pakistan.^[7] The 1949 ceasefire line runs 12 km north of Dras through Point 5353.^[8]

The ceasefire line was renamed the Line of Control in the 1972 Simla Agreement, in which India and Pakistan agreed to respect the line without prejudice to their stated positions.

However, in the early months of 1999, Pakistani soldiers masquerading as mujahideen, infiltrated the area and took control of the peaks overlooking Dras and the highway, in particular Tololing, 4 km from Dras, and Tiger Hill, 8 km from Dras. They directed artillery fire at Dras and the highway, leading to the Kargil War. The Indian army cleared the Tololing and Tiger Hill peaks by July 1999.

Dras is the coldest place in India, experiencing an altitude-influenced Continental Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Dsb). Winters are cold with average lows around −20 °C (−4 °F), and as low as −23 °C at the height of winter, which lasts from mid-October to mid-May. Summers start in June and go on up till early September, with average temperatures near 23 °C (74 °F) and little precipitation. Annual precipitation is almost entirely concentrated from December to May when Dras gets around 550 millimetres (21.7 in) water equivalent of snowfall. There is a popular claim as well various signs/boards showing Dras being second coldest inhabited place in the world. However, there is no reliable weather data to substantiate the claim.

Many inhabitants of Dras cultivate primary crops like barley. The locals also raise livestock like cattle and ponies.^[12]

Common foods in the diet of the people include potatoes, barley, lamb, mutton and drinks like tea.^[12] Polo is a very popular pastime in Dras.^[11]

Dras has been developed as a tourist destination since 1999, following the Kargil War, when visitors came to see the war zone.^[13] The 130-km road connecting the Gurez Valley to Mushkoh Valley in Kargil’s Drass Sector, connected by Kaobal Gali (4,166.9 metres, between Abdullum and Batokul), the highest pass in Gurez, is now open for tourists, offering a glimpse into the historic landscape of the Kargil War. These areas, once battlegrounds, hold significant importance in the Kargil conflict.^[14] The Kargil War Memorial is 7 km from Dras. Dras is located on NH-1 Srinagar-Dras-Karil-Leh highway.

In early 2025, high-speed public 4G/5G mobile and internet connectivity was made available by India.^[15]

• Geography of Ladakh
• Tourism in Ladakh
• Transport in Ladakh