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Leh
The capital of the Ladakh district, Leh is towards the eastern
parts of Jammu and Kashmir.Leh is one of the favorite tourist
destinations located in the northernmost parts of the country.
Lapped in the snow-covered fringes of the Himalayas, Leh has
been the center of Tibeto-Buddhist culture since ages. Its
colorful gompas have attracted the devout Buddhists from all
over the globe. Besides, it is also a favorite hiking locale
and is known for some of the best hikes in the country.
Place Of Interest
Leh Palace
A miniature version of the Potala in Lhasa, the Leh Palace
is one of the major attractions here. The palace was built
in the 17th century and is now dilapidated and deserted. It
was the home of the royal family until they were exiled to
Stok in the 1830s. Above the palace, at the top of the Namgyal
hill, is the Victory Tower, built to commemorate Ladakh's
victory over the Balti Kashmir armies in the early 16th century.
The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa
Built in 1430, contains a three-story high Buddha image and
ancient manuscripts and frescoes. The fort above this gompa
is ruined, but the views of Leh from here are breathtakingly
beautiful.
Sankar Gompa
The Sankar gompa is located a couple of kilometers north of
the town center. The gompa belongs to the Gelukpa order and
has an impressive impression of the Buddhist deity Avalokiteshwara
Padmahari or Chenresig, with 1,000 arms and an equal number
of heads.
Shanti Stupa
The Shanti Stupa was built by a Japanese order and was opened
by the Dalai Lama in 1985. From the top, one can view the
exotic locales nearby. The stupa is located at a distance
of 3 km from the Fort Road. Alchi Gompa Seventy kilometers
from Leh, on the banks of river Indus, is the
Alchi gompa
Dating back to the 11th century. It is one of the largest
and a famous monastery with a widely renowned collection of
paintings.
Hemis Gompa
At a distance of 45 km south of Leh, Hemis is one of the biggest
gompas in Ladakh. Built in 1630, it belongs to the red sect,
Brokpa. Matho Gompa Situated on the opposite bank of the Indus
across Thikse, the Matho gompa was established in the first
half of the 16th century and has a valuable collection of
old and beautiful thangkas, some in the form of 'mandalas.'
Its annual festival of oracles in early March is an important
event in the Ladakhi religious calendar.
Shey Gompa
Until the 16th century, the Shey gompa was the royal residence.
It is located at a distance of 15 km south of Leh. This Palace
Monastery has the largest statue of Maitreya Buddha (the Buddha
to come) in Ladakh.
Spituk Gompa
At a distance of 8 km from Leh, standing majestically on top
of a hillock overlooking the Indus Valley, lies the Spituk
Gompa. It was built in the 15th century and houses a collection
of ancient masks, antique arms, icons and thangkas. Higher
up the hill is the Mahakal Temple, containing the shrine of
Vajrabhairava.
HOW TO REACH
By Air
There are regular flights from Delhi to Leh that are run by
the Indian Airlines. There are direct flights once a week
from Leh to Srinagar and twice a week to Jammu. The Delhi
flights are overbooked throughout the year.
By Road
There are two overland routes to Leh-the roads from Srinagar
and Manali. The Leh-Srinagar road is usually open from June
to October, while the Leh-Manali route is open from July to
September.
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