For visitors to Ladakh, the Leh Palace has always been a major attraction. The palace, that overlooks the Himalayan town of Leh, has a certain kind of mystery to it. Though the Leh Palace today stands in a state of desertion, you cannot afford to miss the site. But thanks to the government, attention has been paid to restore the glory of the past and the Kashmiri craftsmen are working on it. The palace has been built on the lines of the Potala Palace in Tibet.
The landscape the surrounds the Leh Palace makes it even more exotic and attractive. Back in the 17th century, the Leh Palace was constructed by King Sengge Namgyal. And as history records it, the Leh Palace was later abandoned as the Kashmiri armies besieged it in the mid 19th century and the royal family that was residing here earlier moved to the Stok Palace. The Leh Palace comprises nine stories, of which the upper stories are meant for the royal families whereas the lower floors serve as stables and store rooms. It feels really good to enter and explore the palace from inside, reminiscent of the bygone days.
After the Ladakhi royal family abandoned the palace, it was completely in a state of ruin. Later, the royal family sold the palace to the Archaeological Survey of India which is now taking care of the palace structure. The government has commissioned craftsmen to restore the former glory of the palace. Above the palace, at the top of the Namgyal hill, is the Victory Tower, built to commemorate Ladakh’s victory over the Balti Kashmir armies in the early 16th century. This palace built for King Singge Namgyal, now houses the Ladakhi branch of the Indian Government’s archaeological conservation organisation .
People of Ladakh and Their Lifestyle
Packages
• Leh Tour Package
• Leh Ladakh Tour
• Ladakh Tour By Air
• Ladakh Jeep Safaris
• Leh Package By Air
• Srinagar Manali Tour
• Mountain Bike Tours
• Ladakh Jeep Safaris
General Info
· About Ladakh
· Ladakh History
· People & Lifestyles
· Religion & Culture
· Leh Ladakh Map
· Ladakh Travel Tips
· How to Reach Ladakh
· About Dalai Lama
Ladakh Tour by Air
Durations : 09 Days
Places Covered : Delhi , Lamayuru, Likir, Alchi, Rizong, Spituk Monastery, Leh Bazaar, Leh Palace, Leh Gompa, Sankar gompa, Leh
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Discover Ladakh Holiday Packages
Durations : 17 Days
Places Covered : Delhi, Manali, Keylong, Hemis, Pangong Lake, Tso Moriri Lake, Thiksey, Shey palace, Sankar gompa, Lamayuru, Likir, Alchi, Srinagar
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Leh Ladakh Wildlife Treks Travel Package
Durations : 20 Days
Places Covered : Leh, Spituk, Zinchen, Rumbak, Shingo, Skiu, Markha, Thachungtse, Gya, Latho, Delhi
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Features of People
The people of Ladakh are hardy and tough akin to the rugged mountains which surround their dwellings yet very soft and plane at heart .With round faces, short noses, and chinki eyes they resemble more to the people of Tibet and central Asia than of India.
The original population is believed to have been that of Dards, an Indo-Aryan race from down the Indus. But over years, a huge influx from Tibet overwhelmed the culture of the “Dards” and obliterated their racial characteristics. In eastern and central Ladakh, today’s population seems to be mostly of Tibetan origin. Further west, in and around Kargil , there is much in the people’s appearance that suggests a mixed origin. The exception to this generalization is the “Arghon”, a community of Muslims in Leh, the descendants of marriages between local women and Kashmiri or Central Asian merchants.
Influence of Buddhism in Ladakh
Buddhism reached Tibet from India via Ladakh, and there are ancient Buddhist frock engravings all over the region, even in areas like Drass and the lower Suru valley which today are inhabited by an exclusively Muslim population.
The approach to a Buddhist Village is invariably marked by ‘Mani’ walls, which are ling chest-high structures faced with engraved stones bearing the Mantra “Om Mane Padme Hum” and by ‘Chorten’, commemorative cairns, like stone pepper-posts. Many villages are crowned with a ‘Gompa’ or monastery, which may be anything from an imposing complex of temples, prayer halls and monks’ dwellings, to a tiny hermitage housing a single image and home to a solitary Lama.
