Leh Palace

LOCATION:

In the extreme north of the country, in the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, the ruins of this ancient wonder, are situated in a scenic nature's shelve, clasped by the mountains and hill ranges visible across the whole perimeter of the area, till the eyes can behold.

HISTORY:

The Leh Palace was constructed by King Singe Namgyal in the seventeenth century as his residence. The royal family then shifted to the Stok Palace in the 19th century, when the Kashmiri army attacked the palace. After the royal family left the Palace, the remarkable wonder degraded to ruins and it was then handed over to the archaeological survey of India, by the royal family, which is till now, in process of restoring the representative monument of the glorious past of Leh.

ARCHITECTURE:

Inspired by the architecture of the Potala Palace of Tibet, the mysterious palace with its hilly landscaping, is a master piece of Tibetan architecture. The nine-storied palace was built in a matter of three years. The lower floors of the palace used to serve as store rooms while the upper floors inhabited the royals.

The palace is now in ruins but one can still witness the royal stay from the styling of the internal rooms, the murals and the temples on the upper floors. The inclined protective walls and balconies made up of wood are the noticeable features of the palace. The palace also houses a collection of beautiful Buddhist paintings and colorful scrolls called 'tankas' and other such artifacts that present the glorious traditions of the northern hills.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:

Panoramic view of Leh, mountains of Stok Kangri, Zanskari and Ladakh mountain ranges from the rooftop of the Palace.

Tibetan architecture of the Palace.

The upper floors of the palace that served as a royal residence and its inclined walls and balconies.

The dilapidated murals on the internal walls representing the royal past.

Dukhar Temple of goddess Tara at the fourth floor of the palace, with a large image of the deity.

A museum inside the palace which exhibits the colorful Buddhist paintings and scrolls of Laddakh.

The Victory tower atop the Namgyal hill close to the palace, to mark the triumph over the Balti Kashmir armies.

NEARBY SIGHTSEEING:

Leh Monastery:

Laddakh is the land of many Buddhist monasteries like the monasteries of Phiyang, Hemis, Chemry and the oldest monastery of the Indus region being of Lamayuru.

Leh Mosque:

A fine example of the Turkish-Iranian architecture, the mosque was a resultant of an agreement between the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and the Laddakh King Deldan Namgyal. The stunningly beautiful green and white hued mosque was built in 1666 AD and stands in the main bazaar of Leh.

Nubra Valley:

The warmer valley known for its rich and diverse fruit and flower plantations, that beautifies the valley further. The roses, lavenders, apricots with a backdrop of snow capped mountains makes the spot a heaven on earth.

Trekker's paradise:

The trekking paths from Spituk to Marth, Lamayuru Gompa to Chiling Village and from Likir to Temisgam is the best in Leh with maximum height of the passes touching 5000 m. Trekking packages are available for the months of June to October.