The legend of the thirsty Ghost of The Gata Loops

A small shrine along the treacherous Gata Loops, in mountainous Ladakh region, in northern part of the Indian subcontinent, famous for the large number of plastic bottles left as offerings.
Nothing strange, really, so far.
But almost all bicycle and motorcycle racers traversing the area as part of their Trans-Himalaya tours are confused by a large pile of plastic bottles around what looks like a makeshift shrine, with some even confuse it for mere pollution as a consequence of the increase in popularity of the region with adventure tourism enthusiasts.
However, the explanation for this bizarre sight in the middle of nowhere is actually much more intriguing.

Imagine this: you are on your dream trip to Leh Ladakh and have begun your journey from Manali on the popular Leh Manali Highway.
You have passed the amazing landscapes of Jispa, Keylong, Sarchu, entered Ladakh district, and now you just have to pass the Gata Loops, Naake La, Moore plains, Tanglang La, and a few more small hamlets and then you will finally be in Leh, basically the ultimate adventure destination.
It sounds good, right?
Well, as you go through the Gata Loops, however, you see a man who appears out of nowhere, just covered in a shawl despite the cold weather. You stop your bike and the man asks for some water, you offer him something and continue your wonderful ride.
Now what if I tell you that the man you just offered water was none other than…a ghost?
More precisely the Ghost Of The Gata Loops!
But don’t worry, as you were kind enough to offer him water, you will be safe.
And if you did not, uhm…that might be a problem!

In fact many of those who attempt to cross the area leave water bottles at the shrine as offerings for the wandering soul of a poor man who died here decades ago due to thirst and extreme cold.
Some people even believe that passing by without leaving a water bottle will upset the ghost and bring them bad luck on their arduous journey!
The story of Ghost Of The Gata Loops is pretty recent, and it can be traced back to 1999 when a truck driver and his aid transporting some goods to Leh became stuck along the treacherous trail after their vehicle broke down on the 19th trail.
They started their journey from Manali, crossed the famous Rohtang Pass, and continued on the Leh Manali Highway.
Since it was the end of October, it had already started to snow at some of the high passes in Himachal, and the driver was warned, but he had a deadline to reach Leh and, despite the risk, he decided to complete the journey to avoid getting stuck due to snowfall.
His truck was the last one to cross the Rohtang Pass as it snowed heavily the same evening and the pass was closed for the rest of the year.
In any case, they reached safely to the Gata Loops but, while driving uphill, the truck broke down on the 19th bend and got stuck.
With snowfall threatening to isolate them completely, the driver decided to try and reach the nearest settlement and return with help while his helper remained to guard the truck and their cargo.
Unfortunately, the snowstorm got worse, and when the driver returned three (or more) days later, his helper had succumbed to the cold and a lack of food and water.
The driver along with the help crew from nearby Manali buried his body at the exact spot of his death.

But there is also another version of this story, all about a bus that had crashed on the same 19th bend of the Gata Loops.
When the conductor got down from the vehicle and put a rock behind the wheel to prevent it from going off the road, the driver was unable to control the bus, crushing his colleague by the rear wheels accidentally.
The conductor was still alive and asked the driver for some water but, afraid of arrest, he left him to die and ran off.

Either way, when the highway opened the next year, travelers started reporting weird sightings.
Many reported that they saw a beggar at the 19th bend who would wave at the passing vehicles to stop, begging them for water in a very low tone, as if he would die of thirst.
Many people did not stop and have reported facing many difficulties on their journey but, those who stopped and offered water saw that the bottles dropped on the ground as if the beggar’s hands were a mere illusion.
And soon the story spread also to the surrounding areas.
In the years following the poor man’s death, travelers passing through the Gata Loops reported tales about a ghost begging for water only to disappear into thin air when people approached him.
Worried that the area was haunted by the restless spirit of the dead trucker, locals built a shrine in his honor and tried to appease the ghost by bringing it a bottle of water as an offering.
After it construction, the locals and bus/ taxi drivers started to make offerings to the ghost of Gata Loops, by leaving behind a water bottle or even cigarettes.
And, as a result, everyone who passed by the temple and learned its story started leaving water bottles there to make sure they didn’t suffer misfortune on their journey.
Still today, those who know about the Ghost Of The Gata Loops and plan to pass by its modest shrine make sure to pack an extra water bottle to leave as an offering to the thirsty spirit.