Drass, famously known as "The Gateway to Ladakh" and globally recognized as the second-coldest inhabited place on Earth (with temperatures dropping below -40^\circ\text{C} in winter), has a history as fierce and resilient as its climate.
​Situated along the Drass River in the Kargil district, this high-altitude valley has spent centuries serving as a critical strategic bottleneck, a cultural melting pot, and a frontline of defense.