A mystical land with rugged terrains, snow capped peaks
chainting monks, chiming monastery bells and colourful
costumes, In Tibet, Ladakh is commonly called La - Taj and
Maryul Red Land It was called Kha Chan Pa Snow Land by the old
Chinese traveler Fa Hien Ladakh has been the dream of
adventure lovers and those in search of peace and solitude.
For this reason travelers call it " Little Tibet "
Situated between 30 degree to 36 degree east latitude and 76
degree to 79 degree north longitude, with altitudes ranging
from 2750 m at Kargil to 7672 m at Sasar Kangri in the
Karakoram, Ladakh is spread over an area o 96,701 Sq.Kms
bounded by the great Himalayas and Karakoram Range,
Ladakh remains closed between November and June every year as
Srinagar Ladakh and Ladakh manali highways receive heavy
snowfall.
LEH
A historic town that
served as the royal capital of the Old Kingdom, Leh boasts of
a nine storey palace built by King Singge namgyal in 17
century . It is a miniatur replica of Potala Palace in Lhasa.
Above the palace is
the namgyal Tsemo . The ruins of Tsemo Gompa a part of the
earliest roy7al residence built by King Tashi Namgyal in the
16th century. The associated temples are kept locket except
during the morning and evening hours, when monks from Shankar
Gompa climb the hill to light the butter lamps palace in fromt
of the images.
MONASTERIES
Alchi Gompa |
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Location:
70-km From Leh, Ladakh Region, J&K
Significance: The Du-Khang, The Sumtsek
Driving past on the nearby Srinagar Leh highway you;d
never guess that the culuster of low pagoda roofed cubes
3 km across the Indus from Saspol, dwarfed by a
spectacular sweep of wine coloured scree, is one of the
most significant historical sites in Asia, Yet the Chos
Khor or religious enclave at Alchi 70 km west of Leh
harbours an extraordinary wealth of ancient wall paintings
and wood sculputre miraculously preserved for over nine
centures insides five tiny mud walled temples, The site's
earliest murals are regarded as the finest surviving
examples of a style that flourished in Kashmir during the
"second Spreading" Barely a handful of the monasteries
founded during this era escaped the Muslim depredations of
the fourteenth century.
Alchi is the
most impressive of them all the least remote and the only
one you don't need a special permit to visit nestled
beside a bend in the milky blue Rive Indus amid some
dramatic scenery |
Shanti Stupa |
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Location: Leh,
Ladakh Region, J&K
Also Known As: Peace Pagoda
Opened In: 1983 By Dalai Lama
A relatively new addition to the rocky skyline around Leh
is the too thpaste
white Shanti Stupa above Changspa village, 3km west of the
bazaar. Inaugurated in 1983 by the Dalai Lama, the "Peace
Pagoda", whose sides are decorated with gilt panels
depicting episodes from the life of the Buddha, is one of
several such monuments erected around India by a "Peace
Sect" of Japanese Buddhists.
The Dusky Beauty
The site of the Stupa is particularly atmospheric at dusk,
when the drums played at evening Puja seem to set the pace
of growing shadows as the sun sinks behind the mountains
in the west.
HOW TO GET THERE
The Shanti Stupa can be reached by car, or on foot via a
steep flight of five hundred steps, which winds up the
ridge from the end of Changspa lane. |
Spitok Gompa |
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SPITOK gompa
rising incongruously from the end of the airport
runway, makes a good half- day foray from Leh, 10km up the
north side of the Indus valley. A bre ak
in the monotony appears 1km before Spitok in the from of
the Museum of Ladakh, Culture and military
Heritage, a self-congratulatory montage of Indian
military achievements in Ladakh, with tributes to the
heroic road builders who risked their lived to open Ladakh
to the world. There are also a couple of token rooms for
2000years of Ladakhi history.
The
fifteenth century monastery, which tumbles down the
sides of a steep knoll to a tight cluster of
farmhouses and well-watered fields, is altogether more
picturesque. Approached by from the north, or from the
south along a footpath that winds through Spitok village,
its spacious rooftops command superb views. The main
complex is of less interest than the Palden Lumo
chapel, perched on a ridge above. Although visiting
soldiers from the nearby Indian army barracks consider the
deity inside the temple to be Kali Mata, the key- keeper
will assure visitors that what many consider to be the
black- faced and bloodthirsty Hindu goddess of death and
destruction is actually Yidam Dorje Jigjet. Colored
electric lights illuminate the cobwebbed chamber of veiled
guardian deities whose ferocious faces are only revealed
once a year. If you have a torch, check out the
600-year-old paintings on the back wall, partially hidden
by eerie chaam masks used during the winter
festival. |
Lamayuru |
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Location: 130-km
West Of Leh, Ladakh Region, J&K
Main Attraction: Lamayuru Gompa & Trekking
First Monastery Dates Back To: 10th Century

The First Monastery Of Lamayuru
The first Lamayuru monastery was built under Rinchen
Zangbo at the end of the 10th century, under orders from
the king of Ladakh , who altogether had 108 Gompas built
in west Tibet. It was built on the broken mountain in the
valley and consisted of five buildings, of which only the
central building stands today. One can still see some
remains of the four corner buildings to the west.
The Gompa has an impressive 11-headed, 1,000-eyed image of
Chenrezig. In its heyday up to 400 monks lived in the
monastery but today there are only 20 to 30 who belong to
the yellow hat sect. Many Lamas from Lamayuru now go out
to other parts of Ladakh as teachers |
Lakkir Gompa |
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Location: 6-km
North Of Leh-Srinagar Highway, Ladakh Region, J&K
Also Known As: Lu-Khyil
Founded In: 1065 AD
Founded By: Lama Duwang Chosje
Five kilometers to the
north of the main Leh-Srinagar highw ay,
shortly before the village of Saspol, the large and
wealthy gompa of Likkir, home to around one
hundred monks, is renowned for its new 75-foot
–high yellow statue of the Buddha-to-come which towers
serenely above the terraced fields. A pleasant break from
the bustle of Leh, the village of Likkir now offers a
small but adequate choice of accommodation which, along
with the sheer tranquility of the surroundings, tempts
many travelers to linger a few days.
About Likkir Gompa
Founded in 1065 by Lama Duwang Chosje who was given the
land by Lachen Gyalpo, the fifth king of Ladakh , the
Gompa originally belonged to the Khadampa sect. In 1470
the Gompa was converted by Lawang Lotos, a monk from
central Tibet, into the Gelug-pa monastery that is still
here today.
The Gompa was extensively renovated in the 18th century
and there is little sign of the antiquity related to the
site. The impressive Du-khang is devoted to the three
Buddhas - "Marme Zat" (past), "Shakyamuni" (present) and "Maitreya"
(Future), while the Gon-khang, decorated with lavish
murals of "Yamantaka" and "Mahakala" contains the statue
of the wrathful protector, "Tse-Ta-Pa".
The Trek
Most visitors to Likkir continue on an excellent two-day
hike from here to Temisgang via Rhidzong, which provides a
good and comparatively gentle introduction to trekking in
Ladakh. For those with less time on their hands, a short
acclimatizing three to four hour walk from the Gompa leads
to the top of the ridge west of Likkur, providing great
views of the Indus Valley. |
Thak Thok Gompa |
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Thak Thok
gompa shelters a cave in which the apostle
Padmasambhava is said to have meditated during his
epic eight-century journey to Tibet. Blackened over
the years by sticky butter-lamp and incense smoke, the
mysterious grotto is now somewhat u staged
by the monastery’s more modern wings nearby. As well
as some spectacular 35-year-old wall paintings, the
Urgyan Photan Du-khang harbours a collection of
multicolored yak-butter candle-sculptures made by the
head lama. for a glimpse of “state-of-the-art”
Buddhist iconography, head to the top of Thak Thok
village, where a shiny new temple houses a row of huge
gleaming Buddhas, decked out in silk robes and
surrounded by garish modern murals.
Apart from during the annual festival, the
village of Sakti is a tranquil place, blessed with
serene views south over the snowy mountains behind
Hemis. Accommodation is available in the J&K
Tourist Bungalow. There are also plenty of ideal
camping spots beside the river, although as ever you
should seek permission before putting up a tent on
someone’s field. Nine buses a day leave Leh for Sakti.
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Stok |
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Location: Southeast Of Leh, Ladakh Region, J&K
Main Attractions: Stok Palace & Museum, Stok Gompa
Built nearly 1580 by great scholar saint chosje
Jamyang Palkar during the reign of king Jamyang
Namgyal. The Stakna monastery is 45 Km south of
Leh, founded on a hill shaped Stakna (Tiger nose).
Easily accessible from Leh town.
Stok gompa twenty minutes’ walk up the valley,
boasts a collection of dance- drama masks, and
some lurid modern murals painted by lamas from
Lingshet gompa in Zanskar, the artists
responsible for the Maitreya statue in Tiske.
Stok Palace
At the top of a huge moraine of pebbles swept down
from the mountains, the elegant four-storey Stok
Palace stands under the shadow of the intrusive
tower, above barley terraces studded with
threshing circles and white washed farmhouses.
Built early in the 19th century by the last ruler
of independent Ladakh , it has been the official
residence of the Ladakhi royal family since they
were ousted from Leh and Shey two hundred years
ago. |
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Pangong Tso Lake |
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Pangong Tso is a
lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4250 m
(13,900 ft). It is 134 km (83.3 mi) long and extends from
India
to
Tibet. Two thirds of the length of this lake falls in the
People's Republic of China. It is 5 km (3 mi) wide at its
broadest point. In winter, the lake surface freezes
completely despite being salt water.
Pangong Tso can be reached in a five-hour drive from Leh,
most of it on a rough and dramatic mountain road. The road
traverses the third-highest pass in the world, the Changla
pass, where army sentries and a small teahouse greet
visitors. The spectacular lakeside is open during the
tourist season, from May to September. A special permit is
required to visit the lake. While an Indian can get his
individual permit at Leh, non-Indian nationals need to be
in a group of at least four. For security reasons, no
boating is allowed. There is a small hostel as well as
campsites and houses with primitive guestrooms in the
village a few miles towards Tibet.
The lake is in the process of being identified under the
Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international
importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland
in South Asia under the convention |
Tso Moriri Lake |
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Famous
for the large herds of kiang, or wild ass,
which graze on its shores, the lake of
Tso Moriri,
210k m
southeast of Leh, lies in the sparsely populated
region of Rupshu. The area has only recently
been opened to foreigners so you need a permit to
travel here, which most visitors do via a jeep safari
out of Leh.
Nestling in a wide valley flanked by some of the
highest peaks in Ladakh– Lungser Kangri (6666m)
and Chanmser Kangri (6622m) - the twenty
–kilometer-long lake is home to flocks of migratory
nangpa
or
bar-headed geese, as well as occasional herds of
pashmina goats and champs of nomadic herders. Located
on the shores of the lake at an altitude of 4000m,
Karzok – the only large village in the area – is a
friendly place with a small gompa, but the ill
effects of tourism with its accompanying litter are
beginning to show. To help protect the fragile
ecosystem, a new directive stipulates that no
habitation can be built within 700m of the shoreline.
Visitors should bring their own food supplies and make
sure they take all rubbish away. |
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Nubra
Valley
Nubra Valley is situated about 150 k m
north of Leh, the capital town of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir,
India. The common way to access this valley is to travel over
the Khardung La from Leh where one will first encounter the
Shyok valley. To enter the Nubra valley, one must cross over
the Shyok river via a small bridge and pass through a military
checkpoint. An "Inner Line" permit is required to pass. The
Nubra valley contains the small towns of Sumur and Panamik.
Sumur has a Buddhist Gompa or monastery while Panamik is noted
for its hot springs.
Before the region passed into the administrative hands of Leh
Nubra's ancient kings ruled from a palace in in Charasa,
toping an isolated hillock opposite Summur home to the
valley's principal monastery. Further up the Nubra River the
host springs of Panamik .
Nubra Valley unfolding beyond the worlds' highest stretch of
motorable road as it crosses the Khardung La can be visited
with a seven day permit which gives you enough time to explore
the stark terrain and trek out to one or tow gompas. The
Valley's mountain beckbone looks east to the Nubra River and
west to the Shyok River which meet amid silver grey sand dunes
and boulder fields. To the north and east the mighty Karakoram
Range markes the Indian border with China and Pakistan. In the
Valley its relatively mild though dust storms are common
whipping up sand and light debris in choking clouds above the
braod riverbeds.
Kargil
Administering the Valleys of
Suru , Drass, Wakha and Bodkarbu, Kargil lies midway between
the alpine valleys of Kashmir and the fertile reaches of the
Indus Valley and ladakh. The region is politically part of
India, ethnically part of Baltistan and geographically an
integral part of Ladakh.
Until 1947, Kargil was an
important trading centre linking Ladakh with Gilgit and the
lower Indus Valley. There were also important trading link
between the villages of the Suru Valley and the Zanskar
Valley and even 20 years ago it was not uncommon to see yak
trains making their way for Padum all the 3way into Kargil
Bazaar . Kargil next to the roaring Suru River, is the second
larget town in Ladakh.
What to See and Do
Kargil mainly serves as an ideal base station for adventure
activities like trekking, mountaineering,
camping,
river rafting etc. In high Himalayan Valleys. It is also a
base for taking shorter excursions to Mulbek where the chief
attraction is a 9-m high rock sculpture depicting the future
Buddha. Kargil also offers some interesting walks along the
river bank and up the hillside. The best among these is the
one leading to Goma Kargil along a 2-km long winding road
which, passing through some of the most picturesque parts of
the town, presents breathtaking views of the mountain stream.
A stroll in the bazaar might lead to a shop selling flint and
tobacco pouches, travelling hookahs and brass kettles -
handcrafted items of everyday use which find their way into
the mart as curios. Most shops deals in common consumer goods,
but some specialize in trekking provisions. The showroom of
the Government Industries Centre near the riverbank displays
and sell Pashmina Shawls, local carpets and other woolen
handicrafts. The apricot jam produced here serves as a rare
delicacy. Kargil's dry apricot has now become a souvenir item,
which can be purchased freely in the bazaar.
Situated 45 kms East of Kargil on the road to Leh, Mulbek
(3230 m) in an area dominated by the Buddhists. It is situated
along either banks of the Wakha River, which originates. Many
monuments of the early Buddhists era dot the landscape and are
accessible from the road.
Shergol : Another picturesque village of the Wakha
River valley, Shergol is situated across the river, right of
the Kargil-Leh road. The main attraction is a cave monastery
which is visible from a far as a white speck against the
vertically rising ochre hill from which it appears to hang
out. Below this small monastery is a larger Buddhist nunnery
with about a dozen incumbents. The village is accessible by
the motorable road that branches off from the Kargil-Leh road,
about 5 km short of Mulbek. Shergol is a convenient base for
an exciting 4-day trek across the mountain range into the Suru
valley. It is also the approach base for visiting Urgyan-Dzong,
a meditation retreat lying deep inside the mountains
surrounding the Wakha River valey.
Zanskar |
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About 20 kms.
South of Rangdum stands the Pazila watershed
across which lies Zanskar, the most isolated of all the
trans Himalayan Valleys. The Panzila Top (4401 m) is the
picturesque tableland adorned with two small alpine lakes
and surrounded by snow covered peaks. As the Zanskar road
winds down the steep slopes of the watershed to the head
of the Stod Valley, one of Zanskar's main tributary
valleys, the majestic "Drang-Drung" glacier looms into
full view. A long and winding river of ice and snow, the
Drang-Drung" is perhaps the largest glacier in Ladakh,
outside the Siachen formation. It is from the cliff-like
snout of this extensive glacier that the Stod or Doda
River, the main tributary of river Zanskar, rises.
Zanskar comprises a tri-armed valley system lying between
the Great Himalayan Range and the Zanskar mountain; The
three arms radiate star-like towards the west, north and
south from a wide central expanse where the region's two
principal drainage's meet to for m
the main Zanskar River. It is mainly along the course of
this valley system that the region's 10,000 strong, mainly
Buddhists population lives. Spread over an estimated
geographical area of 5000 sq. kms. High rise, mountains
and deep gorges surround Zanskar. The area remains
inaccessible for nearly 8 months a year due to heavy
snowfall resulting in closure of all the access passes,
including the Penzi-la. To-day, Zanskar has the
distinction of being the least interfered with microcosms
of Ladakh, and one of the last few surviving cultural
satellites of Tibet. Within the mountain ramparts of this
lost Shangrila stand a number of ancient yet active
monastic establishments. Some of these religious
foundations have evolved around remote meditation caves
believed to have been used by a succession of famous
Buddhist saints for prolonged meditation in pursuit of
knowledge and enlightenment. |
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