The snowy mountainous view, multiple-emblazoned mountains and their peaks, dotted with small villages and picturesque valleys lead the mind to a place which is the centre of Tibeto-Buddhist Culture, Leh district, which rests in the lap of Mother Nature with serene beauty surrounding it. The beauty of the land is increased by the simple lifestyle and ancient culture of the inhabitants.

Location of Leh
The district of Leh in the Ladakh region is bordered by Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the West and China in the north and eastern part and Lahul Spiti of Himachal Pardesh in South East.

History of Leh
Previously, the Leh district was a part of Greater Ladakh spread over from Kailash Mansarover to Swaat (Dardistan). The Greater Ladakh was neither under the domain of Tibet or its influence as per history, though ample information about the ancient History of Ladakh is not available.

Leh is governed by the royal palace, known as Leh Palace, which was founded in 17th century by King Sengge Namgyal. It was abandoned in the mid-19th century when Kashmiri forces besieged it. The royal family moved their premises south to their current home in Stok Palace on the southern bank of the Indus. It has also been stated that King Sengge Namgyal ruled Ladakh during 17th century and took Ladakh to great heights of achievements. Later he shifted his court from Shey to Leh. Leh became the regional capital and very soon the town blossomed into one of the busiest markets on the Silk Route. The prosperity of Leh was managed mainly by the Sunni Muslim merchants but it ended abruptly with the closure of the Chinese border in the 1950`s. However, with time the situation of the Leh district has drastically improved.

Geography of Leh
Leh, with an area of 45110 sq km, is the largest district in the country in terms of area. It lies between 32 to 36 degree North latitude and 75 degree to 80 degree East longitude. The district is surrounded by Pakistan. Leh is at a distance of 434 Kms from Srinagar and 474 Kms from Manali. Leh district comprises Leh town and 112 inhabited villages and one unoccupied village. Leh is bounded by two of the world`s mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram; it lies athwart with two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range.

Leh is the abode of various mountains and peaks like Saser Kangri which is a massive mountain with four high peaks rising from a glacier, covering the north-south summit ridge; Gulap Khangri peak, Konglacha peak, Saser Kangri peak and Kobet peak. Even some lakes and glaciers that are located in and around Leh include Biafo Glacier, Nubra Glacier, Saltoro Glacier, Chong Kumdan Glacier, Pangong Tso, Tso Kar, Gasherbrum Glacier, Parang Glacier, Tso Morari Lake, Kyaghr Lake, Rakaposhi Glacier, Tsokar Lake etc. Moreover some of the mountain passes and planes and plateaus are located in Leh and have given the place a distinct characteristic.

The important rivers of Leh are Astor River, Gurtang River, Shaksgam River, Bahu Nullah Hanle River, Shigar (South) River, Chang Celmo River, Hispar Glacier, Shigar River, Chapursain River, Hunza River, Shimshal River including Chip Chap River, Kamirup River, Shiugo River, Chipshap River, Khurana River, Shyok River, Nubra River, Suru River etc. The climate of Leh is cold and arid. The winters are long and harsh with freezing temperatures that sometimes drops to minus. The city gets occasional snowfall during winter. The summers are comparatively pleasant and worth enjoying.

Society of Leh
The social set up of Leh is predominantly based on Buddhist religion. A small percentage of the total population of Leh are the followers of Islam and fewer of the inhabitants are from Hindu religion. Apart from people of these religions, followers of Christianity and Sikhism also reside here. The people residing in Leh are called Dards who are an Indo Aryan race and Tibetans. Moreover, the Arghons are the Muslim communities who inhabit in this area. The main occupation of the inhabitants of Leh is cultivation. Some people are engaged in agriculture labour, fewer in household industry and other works. The social set up of the district is reckoned vital and the status of women is the most appreciated fact of Leh. The women enjoy a highly elevated status compared to the conservative nature of the other parts of India.

The society of Leh is reckoned for their culture. The culture of Leh resembles the Tibetan culture because of the region`s close propinquity with Tibet. Though the cuisines of Leh are mostly of Tibetan origin, in present days the influence of other parts of India and Central Asia have made a dominant place. The social gatherings like festivals in Leh are the major part of the culture of Leh. Festivals like Hemis, Losar Festival, Ladakh Festival, Ladakh Harvest Festival, Sindhu Darshan, Tak - Tok festival and some religious festivals held by the monasteries along with Archery festivals are held during the summer times in Leh. These also serve as major tourist attractions and drag a huge number of tourists every year.

Tourism in Leh
Tourism in Leh encompasses the nature tourism, pilgrimage tourism and adventure tourism. The land is surrounded with a number of rivers, mountain passes, peaks, valleys and lakes among which some are of great importance and attract a huge number of tourists every year during summer. Several monasteries that are located in Leh are very artistically developed and are made in such a way that they serve the purpose of education, religious works and meditation of the students and the monks. Namgyal Tsemo Gompa in Leh is a monastery that is clinging over the Shaly Mountain. The red painted Maitreya temple located on the mountain, belonging to the late fourteenth century, houses a gigantic statue of Buddha. The white Shanti Stupa is located above the Changspa village, 3 km west to the bazaar. Its sides are embellished with gilt panels that depict scenes from the life of Buddha. Some other monasteries are Chimre Gompa, Likir Monastery, Sankar Gompa, Shey Monastery etc. The Mahabodhi Meditation center is well visited by the tourist and devotees of Buddhism. Leh houses Stok Palace which was built in 1825 by King Tsespal Tondup Namgyal, the last ruler of independent Ladakh. There are some historical monuments which are worth visiting. The tourists visiting here can also indulge in adventure tourism like hiking, trekking, river rafting at the Zanskar River, polo and archery.

Leh district is the land where a huge variety is found in the land, its people and its culture. The tour to Leh district can lead the mind to enjoy the mystic land with its entire ramification.