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To see and do in Ladakh (Leh)

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Travel Guide » Asia » India » Ladakh (Leh)
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Ladakh
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(Jammu & Kashmir)


Seeker's Destination

She is mesmeric, yet dangerous! She can be breathtaking one second, and so daunting the next! A land of magic, mystique that is Ladhak. A land which is encircled by stark awe-inspiring mountains with the cold desert beyond? Ladhak captivates and touches every being. The shy smiles that you see on the faces of the people you meet here, just add to her serene and mystic charm. She evokes a magic spell and carries you on an experience of a lifetime? Ladakh is a discovery waiting to happen. Come! Indulge!
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To See & Do
Must See, Must Do
  • Visit Stok Palace where the deposed royal family now lives.
  • Get acquainted with the Drok-pa community and their unusual style of living.
  • Browse through the Tibetan refugee market. You are bound to come away with plenty of goodies to take home.
  • Indulge in one luxury item: the famous Tibetan turquoise or the incredibly soft Pashmina. However, its illegal to buy Pashmina products.
  • If you are visiting in summer, attend the archery festival and make merry Ladakhi style.

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Historical Places
  You can't miss the nine-storey Tibetan-style Leh Palace, built by King Singge Namgyal in the 17th century. This is said to have inspired the famous Potala Palace in Lhasa built about half a century later. Above Leh Palace, on the Namgyal Tsemo Hill lie the remnants of the royal residence built in the 16th century. Ancient temples have been preserved carefully. They are closed to the public except during the morning and evening hours, when a monk from Sankar Gompa hikes up the hill to light the butter-lamps. Down the hill, you can sample Buddhist culture at the newly built Buddhist temple, Jo-khang. Take a short walk to the Ladakh Ecological Centre, an NGO that is using folk technology to meet the demands of modern life. Not to be missed is the Sankar Gompa, a Buddhist monastery. Also visit Changspa, an attractive suburb that lies at the foot of the hill on which reposes the imposing Ladakh Shanti Stupa. About 15 km from Leh is the historic Shey Palace, the most ancient capital of the Ladakhi kings. It houses a temple with a three-storey high statute of the Buddha. Another page out of history is the Stok Palace, where the deposed royal family now lives. A part of the palace has been made into a museum where you can browse through artifacts that date back to ancient times. People of Ladakh:One of the most interesting learning experiences Ladakh offers is through its people: marked by unique physical characteristics, their beliefs and their lifestyle. Down the Indus, between Khalatse and the Shayok-Indus confluence, you can get acquainted with the Drok-pa community. Two of their villages are open to tourists. You will learn that their features are pure Indo-Aryan, and they appear to have preserved their racial purity down the centuries. They practice an ancient pre-Buddhist animist religion, known as Bon-chos. They do not allow cows or cow products into any part of their lives. They worship the ibex. Farming is the mainstay of their lives. Fruits such as apricots, apples, walnuts and grapes are grown. They celebrate their festivals according to age-old traditions, the most well-known being the triennial Bono-na festival, a celebration of the harvest.

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Adventure
  The mountains and the rivers offer plenty of opportunities for river rafting, mountaineering and trekking. Be warned that all these sports are to be done under professional guidance. River Rafting Indus and its tributaries offer challenging rafting opportunities. The stretch between Spituk and Nimu or Saspol rates 2 to 3 in the international river grading scale and is good for first-timers. Upstream is the Karu, which is ideal for basic training. But the real challenge is negotiating the unruly Zanskar River. It is the most difficult and requires expedition-like arrangements. For details,contact Director TourismLeh-(Ladakh) 194101Tel: 01982-252297, 252095. Mountain Climbing The most popular and the easiest is the Nun-Kun in the Himalayas. Other options are the Stok-Khangri south of Leh or the Karakoram Range north of Leh, which requires subject permission from the Government of India. The climbing season extends from mid-May to mid-October. However, the ideal period is June to September when the monsoons do not dominate the Himalayas. Non-Indians need to get permission from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation for climbing all listed peaks. It takes a minimum of six months for processing and granting of permission.

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Religious Places
  Monasteries Ladakh is dotted with plenty of monasteries. Lamayuru is the oldest monastery, where the pre-Buddhist religion known as Bon was practiced. The Namgyal kings founded the monasteries of Phiyang, Hemis and Chemrey. The most interesting is Phiyang, built as an act of repentance by the 16th century King Tashi Namgyal for the bloodshed he caused in order to ascend the throne. Hemis and Hanle were commissioned by King Singge Namgyal, while his widow founded Chemrey in her husband's memory. An interesting visit is to Tak-thok, situated at the foot of the Chang-la Pass, where the Indian Buddhist apostle Padmasambhava is said to have rested and meditated on his journey to Tibet. The brightest star in this galaxy of monasteries is Alchi. It was once a busy and revered place of worship; today it is being carefully preserved by the monks of Likir, the nearest functioning monastery. When you visit Chos-kor, or the religious enclave, you will get to see five temples, with intricate and rich paintings dating back to the 11/12th centuries. Some of them bear strong resemblance to the paintings of the Ajanta Caves.

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Festivals
  The monasteries have their own annual festivals, celebrated together by the locals and the monks. The highlight of these festivals is the mask dance and mime, both accompanied by clanging of huge drums and cymbals. The most popular monastic festival is that of Hemis (June/ July), dedicated to Padmasambhava. Every 12 years, the monastery's greatest treasure, a huge thangka (painting) of Padmasambhava done in bright hues and encrusted with pearl is ritually exhibited. Other monasteries which have summer festivals are Lamayuru (early July), Phyang (July/August) and , Tak-thok (August). August/September sees the Festival of Ladakh when dance and archery competitions are held. The Sindhu Darshan Festival is organised by the State in June to honour the soldiers guarding our borders.
 
 
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