Sightseeing in Leh
Leh & behold!
Leh — the capital
of the Ladakh district in Jammu and
Kashmir Indus Valley India
When the rest of the country has already started feeling the summer heat, it is still "officially" winter in Leh! It is not until June that summer actually sets in this picturesque town of the Ladakh region. So if you are touring Leh around this time, why not head outside and make the most of the bright sun by visiting some of the tourist spots in the city?
The Shanti Stupa
I am certain that as a tourist in Leh you would be visiting the famous Gompas of Hemis, Thigsey, Stakna, Spituk and Shey. You would also be touring the historicalLeh Palace
One such spot is the Shanti Stupa, located at the end of the road which goes through Changspa village, about 2 km northwest outside town.
Shanti Stupa was built by the Japanese in 1985 to spread the word of Buddhism throughout the world. It houses an intricately decorated temple at the base of the structure.
As my husband and I made our way to the Stupa, the first obstacle we had to overcome was the steep flight of stairs! Luckily we had already been acclimatized to the altitude, having spent all of four months there, but the 'trek' to the top still left us panting for breath!
The first glimpse of the Stupa was contrary to the picture I had in mind of it. I imagined a 'stupa' to be a columnar structure, rather like the Sanchi Stupa. However this Stupa is a broad, circular monument with a dome showcasing a brilliant statue of Lord Buddha in gold, which is topped off by a spire.
The stupa is also intricately carved and brightly painted. The temple at the base of the stupa has six gold painted statutes of Lord Buddha.
It is exquisitely decorated in brocade and silk in various hues of red and gold. After paying homage to God, we made our way to the stupa on top.
The entire structure of Shanti Stupa stands on a huge platform, which offers a spectacular view of Leh and the surrounding mountain ranges. The most incredible view is of the second highest golf course in the world! Yes, you heard it right, a golf course amidst the mountains! It is a nine-hole course with browns instead of greens.
We could clearly see the nine 'browns' which make up the course. They looked somewhat like craters on the surface of the moon. It instantly transported me to the moon, telepathically though! Then, we huffed and puffed another flight of stairs to see the gold Buddha. The statue depicts Lord Buddha in a meditative pose, sitting on a gold pedestal.
The statue is strategically placed to reflect the bright sunlight. As it was mid morning when we reached there, the golden glow of the sunlight highlighted the brilliance of the gold statue, giving it a peaceful and somber aura, characteristic of the name of this stupa.
Kali Mandir
Another intriguing place of worship is the Kali Mandir, atop a steep mountain right in the heart of Leh city. From a distance, it looks like a residential building standing on a mountain.
It is an 800 year old temple, which has a fascinating collection of masks. As our vehicle made its way to the top, we stopped midway to turn a huge prayer wheel, so characteristic of all gompas in Ladakh.
Apart from a glimpse of the prayer wheel, we could also get a bird's eye view of the Leh airstrip in the backdrop, the highest commercial airstrip in the world.
We were lucky to see an aircraft take off just then. As the airplane zoomed past us above our heads, we felt the same rush in our veins as the group of friends in 'Rang De Basanti'.
When we entered the temple, the aroma of a dozen incense sticks filled our nostrils. Staring down in front of us was a huge idol of the Goddess Kali.
This too is considered another one of the 'avataars' or reincarnations of Lord Buddha. There were lots of other masks and idols of Lord Buddha flanking either side of this main idol.
However, this Kali Mandir is unlike any other gompa we have seen in Ladakh. It has elements of both Hinduism and Buddhism reflecting from it.
When the rest of the country has already started feeling the summer heat, it is still "officially" winter in Leh! It is not until June that summer actually sets in this picturesque town of the Ladakh region. So if you are touring Leh around this time, why not head outside and make the most of the bright sun by visiting some of the tourist spots in the city?
The Shanti Stupa
I am certain that as a tourist in Leh you would be visiting the famous Gompas of Hemis, Thigsey, Stakna, Spituk and Shey. You would also be touring the historical
One such spot is the Shanti Stupa, located at the end of the road which goes through Changspa village, about 2 km northwest outside town.
Shanti Stupa was built by the Japanese in 1985 to spread the word of Buddhism throughout the world. It houses an intricately decorated temple at the base of the structure.
As my husband and I made our way to the Stupa, the first obstacle we had to overcome was the steep flight of stairs! Luckily we had already been acclimatized to the altitude, having spent all of four months there, but the 'trek' to the top still left us panting for breath!
The first glimpse of the Stupa was contrary to the picture I had in mind of it. I imagined a 'stupa' to be a columnar structure, rather like the Sanchi Stupa. However this Stupa is a broad, circular monument with a dome showcasing a brilliant statue of Lord Buddha in gold, which is topped off by a spire.
The stupa is also intricately carved and brightly painted. The temple at the base of the stupa has six gold painted statutes of Lord Buddha.
It is exquisitely decorated in brocade and silk in various hues of red and gold. After paying homage to God, we made our way to the stupa on top.
The entire structure of Shanti Stupa stands on a huge platform, which offers a spectacular view of Leh and the surrounding mountain ranges. The most incredible view is of the second highest golf course in the world! Yes, you heard it right, a golf course amidst the mountains! It is a nine-hole course with browns instead of greens.
We could clearly see the nine 'browns' which make up the course. They looked somewhat like craters on the surface of the moon. It instantly transported me to the moon, telepathically though! Then, we huffed and puffed another flight of stairs to see the gold Buddha. The statue depicts Lord Buddha in a meditative pose, sitting on a gold pedestal.
The statue is strategically placed to reflect the bright sunlight. As it was mid morning when we reached there, the golden glow of the sunlight highlighted the brilliance of the gold statue, giving it a peaceful and somber aura, characteristic of the name of this stupa.
Kali Mandir
Another intriguing place of worship is the Kali Mandir, atop a steep mountain right in the heart of Leh city. From a distance, it looks like a residential building standing on a mountain.
It is an 800 year old temple, which has a fascinating collection of masks. As our vehicle made its way to the top, we stopped midway to turn a huge prayer wheel, so characteristic of all gompas in Ladakh.
Apart from a glimpse of the prayer wheel, we could also get a bird's eye view of the Leh airstrip in the backdrop, the highest commercial airstrip in the world.
We were lucky to see an aircraft take off just then. As the airplane zoomed past us above our heads, we felt the same rush in our veins as the group of friends in 'Rang De Basanti'.
When we entered the temple, the aroma of a dozen incense sticks filled our nostrils. Staring down in front of us was a huge idol of the Goddess Kali.
This too is considered another one of the 'avataars' or reincarnations of Lord Buddha. There were lots of other masks and idols of Lord Buddha flanking either side of this main idol.
However, this Kali Mandir is unlike any other gompa we have seen in Ladakh. It has elements of both Hinduism and Buddhism reflecting from it.
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