Ladakh--Trekker's Paradise
Ladakh - the land of many passes, of freezing high barren landscapes lying across the lofty Asian tableland - is among the highest of the world's inhabited plateaus. Remote yet never isolated, this trans Himalayan land is a repository of a myriad cultural and religious influences from mainland India, Tibet and Central Asia.
The first impression of Leh was that of a desert with green patches fed by the Indus. One of the first things you notice are the prayer wheels with ringing bells. As Leh is 3,505 m above sea level, most tourists experience a degree of altitude sickness. The symptoms are persistent headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, bleeding and blocked nose, and/or shortness of breath. It is because your body has not yet acclimatized to the comparative lack of oxygen. So the tourism department suggests you take complete rest for at least 48 hours.
Amidst starkly beautiful and majestic mountains, gradually merging into an oasis of green fields, Leh is situated, on the banks of the Indus, at a height of 11,000 feet. For seven months a year, Leh airport is Ladakh's only link with the outside world. Transport, tour operators, boarding and lodging facilities are available to suit every pocket and there is sufficient novelty, antiquity, hospitality and bargains to satisfy the quest of all types of visitors. With a population of 10,000 people, mainly Buddhist, some Argoos (Muslim descendants of Yarkandi traders) and a small Christian community, Leh bears the distinct stamp of its history as the administrative, commercial and cultural capital of Ladakh. A memorable sight of the Leh bazar is the group of women, traditionally attired, selling fruits, vegetables and household articles spinning and knitting, and exchanging gentle banter between themselves and with passersby.
Leh, the Ladakhi capital, sprawls from the foot of a ruined Tibetan-style palace - a maze of mud-brick and concrete. Leh only became the regional capital in the seventeenth century, when Sengge Namgyal shifted his court here from Shey, 15 km southeast, to be closer to the head of the Khardung La-Karakoram corridor into China. (Khardung La is the world's highest pass, 39 kms from Leh).
Predominantly Buddist, Leh has 25% Muslim population.These are Ladakhi Muslims, with their own cultural heritage, quite distinct from elsewhere.
The first impression of Leh was that of a desert with green patches fed by the Indus. One of the first things you notice are the prayer wheels with ringing bells. As Leh is 3,505 m above sea level, most tourists experience a degree of altitude sickness. The symptoms are persistent headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, bleeding and blocked nose, and/or shortness of breath. It is because your body has not yet acclimatized to the comparative lack of oxygen. So the tourism department suggests you take complete rest for at least 48 hours.
Amidst starkly beautiful and majestic mountains, gradually merging into an oasis of green fields, Leh is situated, on the banks of the Indus, at a height of 11,000 feet. For seven months a year, Leh airport is Ladakh's only link with the outside world. Transport, tour operators, boarding and lodging facilities are available to suit every pocket and there is sufficient novelty, antiquity, hospitality and bargains to satisfy the quest of all types of visitors. With a population of 10,000 people, mainly Buddhist, some Argoos (Muslim descendants of Yarkandi traders) and a small Christian community, Leh bears the distinct stamp of its history as the administrative, commercial and cultural capital of Ladakh. A memorable sight of the Leh bazar is the group of women, traditionally attired, selling fruits, vegetables and household articles spinning and knitting, and exchanging gentle banter between themselves and with passersby.
Leh, the Ladakhi capital, sprawls from the foot of a ruined Tibetan-style palace - a maze of mud-brick and concrete. Leh only became the regional capital in the seventeenth century, when Sengge Namgyal shifted his court here from Shey, 15 km southeast, to be closer to the head of the Khardung La-Karakoram corridor into China. (Khardung La is the world's highest pass, 39 kms from Leh).
Predominantly Buddist, Leh has 25% Muslim population.These are Ladakhi Muslims, with their own cultural heritage, quite distinct from elsewhere.
Ladakh is a trekkers' paradise. Foreigners move around with their backpacks, heading in different directions. Attractions in and around the town itself include the former palace and Namgyal Tsemo gompa. A short walk across the fields, the small monastery at Sankar harbours accomplished modern tantric murals and a thousand-headed Avalokitesvara deity.
Among the string of picturesque villages and gompas within reach by bus are Shey, site of a derelict seventeenth-century palace, the spectacular Tikse gompa and the Hemis gompa, the largest in the region. Tikse has a huge statue of the sitting Buddha.
The mosque, city palace, the bazar and the gompas are all within walking distance. Shey, Spituk and Phyang are quite close while Stok, Mashro, Thikse, Stakna, Chenlrey, Hemis, Likir, Basgo and Alchi are all a day's touring distance with regular bus and taxi services plying daily. Rumbak and Markha offer exciting treks, while Stok Kangri is the best for a climb. Boating and river running too is possible on the Indus.
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