D had recently visited Khardung La, Nubra Valley and several Buddhist monasteries. Which one of the following States / UT had she visited ?

The correct answer is D, Ladakh. Khardung La, the Nubra Valley and monasteries such as Hemis, Thiksey and Diskit all lie in Ladakh, which became a separate Union Territory in 2019. Khardung La is a high mountain pass of the Ladakh Range north of Leh, long promoted as one of the highest motorable passes in the world, and the road over it leads to the Nubra Valley. Nubra, watered by the Shyok and Nubra rivers, is known for its sand dunes at Hunder, its double-humped Bactrian camels and the Diskit monastery with its tall Maitreya Buddha statue. Option A is wrong because Himachal Pradesh has the Rohtang and Baralacha passes and monasteries such as Key in Spiti, but not Khardung La or Nubra. Option B is wrong because Uttarakhand has passes like Lipulekh and Mana, and is known for Hindu shrines more than Buddhist monasteries. Option C is wrong because Sikkim has Nathu La and the Rumtek monastery, not the Nubra Valley. Exam tip: Ladakh passes = Khardung La, Chang La, Zoji La (gateway from Kashmir); Sikkim = Nathu La and Jelep La.