Tourism in Leh district is a total combination of tranquility along with adventure. Here the arts, culture and architecture are inspired from Buddhist traditions and Tibetan culture, because of the long rule of Kingdom of Tibet. 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 from the Potala in Lhasa, which was built half a century later.
Temples and Monasteries in Leh District
Leh District incorporates the 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. Chimre Gompa, Likir Monastery, Sankar Gompa, Deskit Monastery, Shey Monastery, Stakna Monastery, Gandpa Gompa, Gurphug Monastery, Sani Monastery, Zongkhul Monastery, Thikse Monastery and Lamayuru Monastery are the popular monasteries.
Some of the monasteries contain clay images of Gautama Buddha, numerous ancient manuscripts, `thankas` and old religious and domestic costumes and implements. There are some Buddhist temples like Dorje Chenmo Temple, Sumtsek Temple, kangyu-Lang and Tsangyu-Lang Temples and Lachung Temple.
Valleys and Mountain Passes of Leh District
The nature of Leh District has a lot to offer who decide to pay a visit to the land. The major attractions of Leh District are Boumitse Pass, Chang La 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, Nimaling Valley etc attracts the tourists to stopover the land.
Monuments in Leh District
Leh encompasses the monuments and palaces 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. The Tower of Victory is situated above the palace at the top of the Namgyal hill. Leh Palace, a miniature version of the Potala in Lhasa, is one of the major attractions here. The earthen ramparts of Zorawar Singh"s Fort are also a popular attraction here.
Shopping in Leh District
Chang Gali is a popular shopping destination in Leh District. Here one can find the shops selling jewelry, carpets, metal crafts, woolen textiles and replica of the Buddhist paintings. The tourists flock for buying pearls, turquoise, coral, malachite, lapis lazuli and many other kinds of semi-precious stones, carved horn boxes made from yak, old-fashioned brassware and metal arts.
Visiting Information
The air services are available for Leh District from Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar throughout the year. The nearest airports for this district in Ladakh are the Leh Airport and Srinagar Airport. The Srinagar-Leh Road acts as a gateway to enter in this district. Here the tourists can also opt for taxis, cars and jeeps to reach Leh from Manali and Srinagar.
