About Leh-Ladakh

Ladakh, the region of mountain passes, a piece of broken moon land- a perfect place to witness the unmatched beauty of nature. Ladakh is the highest plateau of the Indian state of Kashmir with much of it being over 3,000m. It lies between 32 to 36 degree north latitude and 75 to 80 degree east longitude. The total area of 45110sq km makes Ladakh the largest district in India. Ladakh region is bifurcated in Kargil and Leh districts. Kargil lies at an altitude of 2750m and Leh at 3505m. The largest town in Ladakh is Leh.

Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture. It spans the Great Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River Valley. The district bordered Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the west and China in the north and Eastern part and Lahul Spiti of Himachal Pradesh in the South east. Ladakh’s ethnic composition consisted of Mongoloid and a mixed Indo-Aryan population of Mons and Dards. It is sometimes called little Tibet due to strong cultural and geographical similarities with Tibet. The approach to Ladakh is invariably marked with many long walls running 2-3 kms, decorated with engraved stones bearing the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hun” and Chortens which symbolizes Buddha’s mind.

Around the first century, Ladakh was a part of the Kushana Empire. Buddhism came to western Ladakh via Kashmir in the 2nd century. Buddhism is the religion of the majority of Leh District’s population. The most attractive features of the Landscape of Leh are the Buddhists Gompas ( Monastries). The Gompas are situated on the highest points of the mountain spurs or sprawl over cliffsides, located in vicinity of villages and provide focus for the faith of Buddhists. Gompas have a wreath of artifacts. There are also some religious places of Muslims which constitute slightly more than 15% of the district’s population.

Ladakh is a high altitude desert as the Himalayas create a rain shadow thus prohibiting the entry of monsoon clouds. The main source of water here remains the winter snowfall on the mountains that forms the glaciers. Like in the rest of the parts of the country where people pray for rain, here Ladakhis pray for the glaciers or snows to melt for irrigation and drinking purposes. Surprisingly though, the thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower altitudes. Only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke n frostbite at the same time.

Important information About Leh - Ladakh

Lakes

Pangong Tso The Pangong Lake is 160 kilometer from Leh and offers spectacular views of the region. The lake is surrounded by mountains and the color of the lake changes shades throughout the day. This famous blue brackish lake is…

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Culture

The Buddhist influence on Ladakh culture started as early as the 7th century. And now, this faith has gained dominance in this entire region. All over Ladakh, you will find ancient Buddhist rock engravings, even in the few areas…

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History

the 10th century, a direct descendent of Lang Darma, Lha Chen Palgyi-Gon, conquered Ladakh and began the rule known as the Lha Chen Dynasty. Although little is known of this dynasty’s kings, who held power from the 10th to…

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FAQ

Just about 160 km from Leh is a beautiful lake named the Pangong Lake in Ladakh. A drive to this lake will result in one of the most wonderful experiences. The journey begins at Thiksey village, which is famous…

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Map

Leh to Manali is the preferred route to return from Leh Ladakh. The route is far more ardous than Srinagar Leh route however the vistas that the route offers sufficiently offsets the difficulty gradient!If you choose to start your…

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Climate

The weather in Leh tends to be extremely arid, with only 90mm of rain annually, and cold. There are only two main seasons in Leh: summer (March to September) and winter (October to February). The early summer…

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Lifestyle

Life Style of Ladakh People : The people of Ladakh are generally quite different from those of the rest of India.The faces and physique of the Ladakhis, and the clothes they wear, are more similar to those of Tibet and…

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