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Shyok River

Coordinates: 35°14′N 75°55′E / 35.23°N 75.92°E / 35.23; 75.92
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Shyok River
The Shyok River upstream from Agham, Ladakh, India
Course of the Shyok River
Location
CountryIndia, Pakistan
TerritoryLadakh (India), Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan)
DistrictLeh (India), Ghanche (Pakistan)
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates35°21′N 77°37′E / 35.35°N 77.62°E / 35.35; 77.62
MouthIndus River
 • coordinates
35°14′N 75°55′E / 35.23°N 75.92°E / 35.23; 75.92
Basin size33,465 km2 (12,921 sq mi)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationYugo gauging station, Pakistan.[2]
 • average1041 m3/sec
 • minimum859 m3/sec
 • maximum1199 m3/sec
Basin features
River systemIndus River
Tributaries 
 • leftChip Chap River, Galwan River, Chang Chenmo River
 • rightNubra River, Hushe River
Map
Shyok River and Shyok Valley
35-meter statue of Maitreya Buddha facing downstream along the Shyok River

The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that flows through northern Ladakh in India and enters Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan, spanning approximately 550 km (340 mi).[3][4][5]

Etymology

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The name Shyok is a variant spelling of Shayog, which is attested in Tibetan as Sha-gyog—a compound of shag (ཤག་), meaning "gravel", and gyog (གཡོག་), meaning "to spread". The name thus translates as "gravel spreader", referring to the large deposits of gravel left by the river during floods.[6] An alternative etymology interpreting Shyok as "river of death", based on a gloss of sheo as "death", exists but is not linguistically substantiated.[7]

Course

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The Shyok originates from the Rimo Glacier, located in the eastern Karakoram range in the union territory of Ladakh, India. From its source, the river flows initially southeastward across the Depsang Plains before encountering the Pangong Range. There, it makes a broad V-shaped bend, reversing its direction to flow northwestward in a path nearly parallel to its initial course—a distinctive feature noted by several observers.[3][4]

The Shyok Valley widens at the confluence with the Nubra River but then narrows abruptly into a gorge near Yagulung (34°46′N 77°08′E / 34.77°N 77.14°E / 34.77; 77.14), continuing through the villages of Bogdang, Turtuk, and Tyakshi before entering Baltistan. The valley widens again near the junction with the Saltoro River at Ghursay. The river ultimately joins the Indus at Keris, east of the town of Skardu.[8]

The Nubra River, originating from the Siachen Glacier, follows a similarly unusual path. Before reaching Diskit, it flows southeast but turns northwest after meeting the Shyok. The parallel behavior of these two rivers may reflect a series of Paleolithic fault lines trending northwest–southeast, which likely influenced the courses of their upper reaches.

Tributaries

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The Chang Chen Mo River originates near Pamzal in the Changchinmo plains of Ladakh and flows westward until it merges with the Shyok.[citation needed]

The Galwan River, located in the southern part of Aksai Chin, originates near Samzungling and flows westward to join the Shyok.[citation needed]

The Nubra River, a major tributary, flows through the Ladakh region and joins the Shyok before the latter flows into the Indus.[citation needed]

The Saltoro River begins near the slopes of Saltoro Kangri and flows southwest. Another branch rises from the western Siachen Glacier and joins the main stream near Dumsum village. North of the Ghursay Valley, it merges with the Hushe River, which originates near Masherbrum Peak, before flowing into the Shyok.[citation needed]

Valley

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The Shyok Valley is the valley of the Shyok. It is near the Nubra Valley. Khardung La on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra Valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies partway up the latter valley.

Tourism

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Siachen Base Camp tourist adventure, many monasteries, Pangong Tso etc. are tourism opportunities.

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  • The Shyok River in the Khaplu Valley
    The Shyok River in the Khaplu Valley
  • Kharfaq and Yugu
    Kharfaq and Yugu
  • Road marker map
    Road marker map

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Farooq, Muhammad Umar; Kharal, Muhammad Ashiq; Bogacki, Wolfgang; Ismail, Muhammad Fraz; Mehmood, Asif (2023). "Estimation of component-wise runoff contribution using temperature index approach, in a snow- and glacier-fed transboundary Shyok River catchment of the Upper Indus Basin". Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 16 (8): 460. Bibcode:2023ArJG...16..460F. doi:10.1007/s12517-023-11583-y. Shyok River is a transboundary stream that has a catchment area of 33,465 km2 over three countries; Pakistan 28%, India 54%, and China 18%.
  2. ^ Tarar, Zeeshan Riaz; Ahmad, Sajid Rashid; Ahmad, Iftikhar; Majid, Zahra (2018). "Detection of Sediment Trends Using Wavelet Transforms in the Upper Indus River". Water. 10 (7): 918. Bibcode:2018Water..10..918T. doi:10.3390/w10070918.
  3. ^ a b Negi, Sharad Singh (1991). Himalayan Rivers, Lakes, and Glaciers. Indus Publishing Company. pp. 124–125. ISBN 9788185182612.
  4. ^ a b Kaul, Hriday Nath (1998). Rediscovery of Ladakh. Indus Publishing Company. pp. 30–31. ISBN 9788173870866.
  5. ^ "Shyok River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  6. ^ Peter, Friedrich A. (1977). "Glossary of Place Names in Western Tibet". The Tibet Journal. 2 (2). Library of Tibetan Works and Archives: 26–27. JSTOR 43299854.
  7. ^ Kapadia, Harish (1999). Across Peaks & Passes in Ladakh, Zanskar & East Karakoram. Indus Publishing Company. p. 230. ISBN 9788173871009. Shyok: river of death. (Sheo: death).
  8. ^ Bennett-Jones, Owen; Brown, Lindsay; Mock, John (2004). Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway. Lonely Planet Regional Guides (6th Revised ed.). Lonely Planet Publications. p. 306. ISBN 9780864427090.

Further reading

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