Resting on the roof of the world, Himalaya, paying visit to the land of Leh makes way to enjoy the scenic natural landscapes. It is a perfect abode for those who are seeking tranquility along with adventure.
The main district of Jammu and Kashmir, Leh, is dominated by Sengge Namgyal`s nine-storey Palace, a building in the grand tradition of Tibetan architecture, said to have inspired the famous Potala in Lhasa, which was built half a century later. Above it, on Namgyal Tsemo, the peak overlooking the town, are the ruins of the earliest royal residence at Leh, a fort built by King Tashi Namgyal in the 16th century. The associated temples remain intact, but they are kept locked except during the morning and evening hours when a monk toils up the hills from Sankar Gompa to attend to the butter-lamps in front of the images.
Pilgrimage Tourism in Leh District
The pilgrimage tourism in Leh incorporates visiting the list of monasteries, temples and mosques that are scattered all around the region. Down in the bazaar, the main sites to visit are the Jo-khang, a modern ecumenical Buddhist temple, and the imposing mosque dating from the late 17th century. Among the monasteries, the name of Chimre Gompa, Likir Monastery, Sankar Gompa, Deskit Monastery, Shey Monastery, Stakna Monastery, Gandpa Gompa, Gurphug Monastery, Sani Monastery, Zongkhul Monastery, Thiksey Monastery, Lamayuru Monastery can be named. Some of the monasteries contain clay images of Buddha, numerous ancient manuscripts, `thankas` and old religious and domestic costumes and implements. There are some Buddhist temples, namely, Dorje Chenmo Temple, Sumtsek Temple, Kangyu-Lang and Tsangyu-Lang Temples, Lachung Temple etc. all around the region.
Nature Tours in Leh District
The nature of Leh region has a lot to offer who decide to pay a visit to the land. The major attractions of Leh include the former Palace, valleys, mountain passes, villages, forts, wildlife sanctuaries etc. The mountain passes namely Boumitse Pass, Changla Pass, Charatse La, Konke La, Zoji La Pass, Kamayuri Pass, Tanglang La Pass, Phogmarla Pass etc and valleys viz. Matho River Valley, Ripchar Valley, Murgo Salt Lake Valley, Drass Valley, Nierag Valley, Shang Valley, Shyok Valley, Hinju Valley, Nubra valley, Nimaling Valley etc attracts the tourists to stopover the land. Leh is also a good base for longer day trips out into the Indus Valley. Besides these tourist attractions, there are a number of wildlife sanctuaries that receive numerous travellers.
Leisure Tourism in Leh District
The leisure tourism in Leh encompasses visiting the monuments and historical buildings that exhibit a grand Tibetan architecture. One of the main attractions of Leh is the Victory Tower which was built in the early 16th century to commemorate Ladakh`s victory over the Balti Kashmir armies. This Tower is located above the palace at the top of the Namgyal hill. Bunji and Henaskot in Leh are also the tourist destination where a huge number of tourists flock in summer. The Leh Palace, a miniature version of the Potala in Lhasa, is one of the major attractions here. The palace was built in the 17th century. It was the home of the royal family until they were exiled to Stok in the 1830s. In addition to these, the tourists visit to Changspa, an attractive village, and practically a suburb of Leh, lying below the hill on which stands the modern Ladakh Shanti Stupa, accessible by a winding road. Down past the Tourist Information Centre in the Dak-Bungalow Complex, one can follow the Fort road to Skara, another pretty and prosperous suburb of Leh town, and admire the earthen ramparts of Zorawar Singh`s Fort, now housing army barracks. This road continues onward, swinging around the periphery of the village to meet the main highway near a crossroads where the roads from Srinagar and Manali meet. A side road taking off from here traverses the interior of Skara to meet the main highway near the airport, an excellent drive through the heart of the sprawling village. There are several attractive destinations within a 10-kms radius of Leh. Sabu, a charming village with a small gompa, nestles between two southward-stretching spurs of the Ladakh range about 9km away. In the same direction, but nearer town, is Choglamsar, with the Tibetan refugee settlement including a child`s village, a handicrafts centre devoted largely to carpet-weaving, and the Dalai Lama`s prayer-ground, Jiva-tsal.
Shopping in Leh District
For locals and visitors alike, a stroll along the main bazaar, observing the varied crowd and peering into the curio shops is an entrancing experience. A particularly charming sight is the line of women from nearby villages sitting along the edge of the footpath with baskets of fresh vegetables brought for sale to town`s people. Chang Gali, behind the main bazaar, is less bustling but has intriguing little shops selling curious and jewelry; and further on is the labyrinthine alleyways and piled-up houses of the old city, cluttering around the foot of the palace hill. In the other direction, down from the bazaar, are the stalls of the Tibetan traders where the tourists flock for buying pearls, turquoise, coral, malachite, lapis lazuli and many other kinds of semi-precious stones and jewelry, as well as curiously carved yak-horn boxes, quaint brass locks, china or metal bowls, or any of a whole array of curious.
Visiting Information on Leh District
How to Reach
By Air: Air services are available for Leh from Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar throughout the year. The nearest airports for this district in Ladakh are the Leh Airport and Srinagar Airport.
By Road: The Srinagar-Leh road remains open for traffic from early June to November. The regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh are operated by the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (J&KSRTC). One can also opt for taxis, cars and jeeps to reach Leh. The Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Manali and Leh are also available.
A number of accommodations are available in Leh according to the budget of the tourists. Though most of the hotels are family run establishments, there are various guest houses and Government run tourist bungalows as well. The hotels are classified into A, B, C and Economy category and the Guest Houses are of upper, medium and economy class. These hotels and guest houses provide all kind of facilities and services including room services and perfect meal deliveries. The State Tourism Department has started the development of accommodation facilities like Tourist Complexes and Hiker`s huts at Tangse, Spangmik, Sakti, Rumtse, Hunder, Panamik and Saspol. Tourists can also opt for accommodation as paying guests in a few selected homes in these places. In addition to these, alongside the Srinagar-Leh road there are some Government run Tourist Bungalows.
The tourists do not face any problem with food as several eating joints in Leh provide all kind of cuisines. The tourists can dig their teeth into Indian cuisine, especially Kashmiri dishes; Tibetan cuisine and Western cuisines. There is also an availability of good quality sweets and bakeries in Leh.
Tourism in Ladakh district includes nature tourism, pilgrimage tourism and leisure tourism and enables the tourists to saunter and take pleasure in this heavenly land where the simple pasture creates splendour.
