XX THE LADAKI PIRAK 373 



Rupsang, who had come with my wife to Leh, after 

 leaving her there, had gone to the Rumbok nala, and 

 seen four good uryal (shapu), he said. These he 

 proposed I should go after, and I settled to do so on 

 the 22nd. 



That morning, accordingly, I sent my things on, and 

 then photographed the Leh Bazaar ^ and a group of 

 Yarkand traders- I found there. Our milk-woman also, 

 a Ladaki lady, whose head was adorned with a specially 

 good pirak (a head ornament peculiar to the women of 

 these parts), was also induced to stand before the camera. 

 Ladaki women, though very ugly, have bright faces 

 and pleasant manners. Their dress is picturesque and 

 quaint. On the head is worn a curious thing called a 

 "pirak," consisting of a broad piece of red cloth tapering 

 to a point over the forehead, and hanging down the back. 

 On this are fastened, in considerable numbers, uncut 

 turquoises, cornelians set in silver, and sometimes silver 

 brooches. Attached to the pirak and hanging over the 

 ears, to protect them probably from the cold, are oblong 

 pieces of black lambskin, which give a very grotesque 

 appearance to the face. As the wealth of a Ladaki 

 woman varies directly with the size of her pirak, and the 

 number of stones it displays, the value of the dower 

 which will accompany a girl can be readily ascertained. 

 A good pirak is sometimes over 3 feet long and 9 inches 

 wide, and is sometimes worth more than Rs.400 (about 

 ^25). It is an important heirloom, handed down from 

 mother to daughter. Round her neck a Ladaki lady 

 puts silver chains and strings of uncut stones, mostly 



* See illustration on p. 386. '^ See illustration on p. 401. 



