Ladakh is famous for:

(a) Tea plantations

(b) Spices

(c) Pashmina wool

(d) Silk sarees

The correct Answer: (c) Pashmina wool

Ladakh—often called a cold desert—has a high-altitude, dry, and icy climate. These conditions are ideal for rearing the Changthangi (Pashmina) goats, whose ultra-fine undercoat produces the world-famous Pashmina (cashmere) wool. Nomadic Changpa herders graze these goats on Ladakh’s high pastures; the fine fibre (about 12–16 microns) is then collected, cleaned, and eventually crafted—most famously into Pashmina shawls. The raw fibre largely comes from Ladakh, while much of the traditional weaving and finishing happens in the Kashmir Valley.

Why the other options are incorrect:

(a) Tea plantations: Tea needs humid, moderate climates (e.g., Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiris), not Ladakh’s arid cold.

(b) Spices: Major spice belts are in tropical, rainy regions (e.g., Kerala for pepper, cardamom, cloves), unlike Ladakh.

(d) Silk sarees: Famous silk saree centres include Kanchipuram, Banaras (Varanasi), Mysore—not Ladakh’s cold-desert region.