SIGHT SEEING A miniature version of e Potala in Lhasa,e Leh Palace is one of e major attractions here.the palace was built in 17 century by Tashi Namgyal and is now dilapidated and deserted.it was e home of e royal family until ey were exiled to Stok in e 1830s.Above e palace,at e top of Namgyal peak,is e Victory Tower, built to commemorate Ladakh s victory over e Balti-Kashmir armies in e early 16 century. The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, built in 1430, contains a ree-storey Buddha image and ancient manuscripts and frescoes.the fort above is gompa is ruined, but e views of Leh from here are breatakingly beautiful. The Sankar Gompa is located a couple of kilometres nor of e town centre.the Gompa belongs to e Gelukpa orderand has an impressive impression of e Buddhist deity Avalokiteshwara Padmahari or Chenresig, wi 1,000 arms and equal number of heads. The Shanti Stupa was built by Japanese order and was opened by Dalai Lama in 1985. From e top,one can view e exotic locales nearby.the Stupa is located at a distance of 3km from e Fort road. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb commissioned e Mosque at e head of Leh Bazaar.The Soma Gompa lies near e mosque opposite to Ladakh Book Shop. 1 / 5
EXCURSIONS: 67km from Leh, on e banks of river Indus, is e Alchi Gompa dating back to e 11 century. It is one of e largest and a famous monastery wi a widely renowned collection of paintings. At a distance of 49km sou of Leh, Hemis is one of e biggest gompas in Ladakh. Built in 1630, it belongs to e red sect, Brokpa.It is also known as Chang Chub Sam Ling or e lone place of e compassionate person. To commemorate e bir of e renowed Indian sage,padmasambhava,e annual Hemis festival is held in e mon of June/July. Situated on e opposite bank of e Indus across Thikse, e Mao Gompa was established in first half of e 16 century and has valuable collection of old and beautiful angkas,some in e form of Mandalas. Its annual Festiival of oracles in early march is an important event in Ladakhi religious calendar. Until e 16 century, e Shey Gompa was e royal residence. It is located at a distance of 15km sou of Leh.This Palace Monastery has e largest statue of Maitreya Buddha(e Buddha to come)in Ladakh. Erected in e mid-17 century, worked out of gold and gilded copper sheets wi blue hair, it stands 17.5m high. At a distance of 8km from Leh, standing majestically on top of a hillock overlooking e Indus valley, lies e Spituk Gompa. It was in e 15 century and houses a collection of ancient masks,antique arms, icons and angkas. Higher up e hill is e Mahakali Temple, containing e shrine of Vajrabhairava. About 19km sou of Leh, Thikse Gompa is an imposing monastery and one of finest 2 / 5
examples of Ladakhi architecture. It belongs to e Gelukpa order. The 12-storey monastery complex contains numerous stupas, statues, angkas, wall paintings, swords and a large pillar engraved wi e Buddha s teachings. 25km upstream from Thikse, Stakna is situated on a 60-metre-high isolated rock.the word Stakna means Tiger s nose.it was built by e step broer of King Sengge Namgyal, as a part of e Brokpa order. Built in 1814,e Stok Gompa (17km)is e site where e last king of Ladakh died in 1974.The museum here has a unique collection of royal ornaments, and traditional cloing, along wi exquisite angkas representing e life of e Sakya Muni Buddha. The Lamayuru Monastery (125km)was founded in e 11 century. It houses a library,ought to be e oldest in e region. The present Monastery dates back to 16 century and has e 11-headed image of e Avalokiteshwara Buddha. Founded in e 11 century, e Likir Monastery (60km) was rededicated to e Gelukpa order in e 15 century. The earlier Gompa was destroyed in fire and e present Gompa dates back to e 18 century. It contains huge clay images of e Buddha and various old manuscripts.it also houses an interesting collection of angkas, old religious and domestic costumes and implements. Belonging to e Brokpa sect, e Phyang Gompa was built in e 16 century.located at a distance of 17km from Leh,it houses hundreds of statues, angkas, old manuscripts and some old weapons. The Bagso Gompa is located 42km downstream from Leh, and was e seat of power of a branch of Namgyal family.it is here in 1680 A.D. at involves Mongol and Tibetan armies were held in check over a ree-year-long siege.original 16 century murals and oer arts of Bagso are wor seeing. 3 / 5
About 45 km from Leh,e Chemrey Gompa is situated in a picturesque valley leading to Changia. It was constructed on Sengge Namgyal s dea in 1645. A large collection of scriptures wi pages in sterling silver and e text in gold letters is kept here. Precariously perched atop a 200-metre-high crag, e Mulbekh Gompa has an imposing rock carving of e future Buddha.On e oer end of e valley is a phallus-shaped rock wi a monastery at its base. At a distance of 50 km east of Leh,e Thak Thok Gompa is e only monastery belonging to e Nying-ma-pa order.gum Rinpoche (Padma Sambhava) is said to have founded is monastery and e temple where he meditated is still to be seen here. Tu-Phuk houses e images of Guru-Tsan-Gyet (eight forms of Padma Sambhava), Guru TakpoTsahl and e 11-headed Avalokiteshwara. The new monastery is built on ground level and contains e image of Guru Nang Sri Zilon in a central position. To its right is an image of guru Dorje Dolo and on e left is an image of Guru Padma Gyalpo. There are seats for e Dalai Lama and Taklung Rinpoche (e incarnate Lama of e monastery). The Monastery stages two festivals every year. Dak-ok Tse-Chu is held from e nin to e eleven day of e six Tibetan mon. Thak Thog Wangchogis is held from e 26 to e 29 day of e nin Tibetan lunar mon. Nearby, e town Choglamsar (7km) is an important centre for Tibetan Buddhism and study of Tibetan study and culture.one can find here a Tibetan Library, medical centre, handicrafts shops, study centre, bookshops, plenty of restaurants,and e Central Institute of Buddhist studies. The Sikh shrine of Gurudwara Shri Patar Sahib is situated about 25 km short of Leh town on e Leh-Srinagar highway on e confluence of e Indus and Zanskar rivers. Built in e memory of Guru Nanak Dev, e great prophet who sanctified e place by his sacred visit during e year 1517 while on his second missionary tour. The Guru reached here by Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Yarkand and Leh after having spiritual discourses wi e Sidhas at Mount Sumer(Central Himalayas). 4 / 5
Khardung La is a high mountain pass, 49 km from Leh, e highest motorable road in e world at an altitude of 5359 m. The views from e top of e pass are amazing. Built in 1976, it was opened to motor vehicles in 1988 and has seen many expeditions. Pangong Tso (148 km) is a lake situated at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft). It is 134 km long and extends from India to Tibet. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point.i n winter, e lake surface freezes completely despite being salt water. Pangong Tso can be reached in five-hour drive from Leh,most of it on a rough and dramatic mountain road. The road traverses e ird-highest pass in e world, e Changla pass. 5 / 5