At ‘Little Tibet’ – Leh

Mon, Mar 29, 2010

Leh, earlier the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, is a top tourist attraction located east of Srinagar, capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Today, Leh is the largest town of Ladakh. It is the district headquarters of Leh district, one of the two districts of Ladakh (the other being Kargil). Leh has a special appeal in terms of adventure tourism and spiritual healing. Leh has an area of 45,110 square kilometres and has an elevation of 3,500 metres. Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) governs Leh’s administration. Deputy Commissioner, Leh holds the power of Chief Executive Officer, LAHDC. The population of Leh mainly comprises people of Buddhist faith (about 77 per cent) followed by Muslims, Hindus and others. The average literacy rate of Leh is 75 percent. The population of Leh is around 1.17 lakhs.

Leh Ladakh:

Ladakh, a part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, consists of two Leh and Kargil districts. Due to a strong influence of Tibetan culture, Ladakh is often referred to as ‘Little Tibet’.

Leh district is bounded by Ghanche District (Northern Areas), a small border with Xinjiang, China in the north, through the Karakoram Pass, Aksai Chin and Tibet to the east, Kargil district to the west and Lahul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh to the south.

Leh History:

Leh came to prominence in the 17th century when King Sengge Namgyal shifted his court from Shey to Leh. During the days of famous silk trade, Leh emerged into a significant centre of trade. Tourism started to flourish in Leh from the 1970s after it was opened for the common people. The old town of Leh has been added to the World Monuments Fund’s list of 100 most endangered sites owing to various reasons.

Leh Climate:

The temperature at Leh can vary between -28 degree Celcius in winter to 33 degree Celcius in summer. Average annual rainfall is around 90 mm. During the winter season that extends from October to March, Leh experiences a cold, arid climate. Occasional rainfall also marks the winter marks.

Time to visit Leh:

June to September is the best time to visit Leh.

Leh Tourist Attractions:

Shanti Stupa (a collaborative effort between Japan and Ladakh to preserve the relics of the Buddha enshrined by the Dalai Lama). One gets a fascinating view of the beautiful Leh valley from the stupa.

Leh Palace (one can get a glimpse of Leh’s ancient history from this 17th century marvel)

Victory Tower (built to commemorate Ladakh’s victory over the Balti kashmiris in the 16th century)
Namgyal Tsemo Gompa monastery
Chamba and Chenresi monasteries

Leh fairs and festivals:

Hemis Festival (the biggest and most popular festival; celebrated in June-July);

Dosmoche Festival (festival of scapegoat celebrated in February)
Losar Festival (celebrated to welcome Tibetan New Year)
Sindhu Darshan Festival (river festival, celebrated in May-June)
Ladakh Festival (cultural festival celebrated in September)
Tak-Tok Festival (summer festival celebrated at Gompa cave of Tak-Tok)

How to Reach Leh:

By air:
Leh is served by the Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport. It is one of the highest airports in the world. Leh is connected from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar.

By road:
Leh is mainly connected by Srinagar-Leh (434 km) and Manali-Leh (473 km) highways. These roads are open on seasonal basis. The first road passes through Zoji-la, gateway to Ladakh. Kargil is located about 220 km from Leh. The J&K State Road Transport Corporation operates regular bus services between Srinagar and Leh. The Manali-Leh route passes through Taglang-la, world’s second highest motorable pass.