Top 5 best Places to visit in Ladakh

Top 5 Places to visit in Ladakh:

Before Getting To our Top 5 Places To visit in Ladakh let know more about Ladakh. Ladakh is a Union Territory which is administered by India. Ladakh’s Borders are connected with Tibet Autonomous Region to the East, Himachal Pradesh to south , which is also an State of India , At West we have Jammu and Kashmir which is also an State of India and the Pakistan administered Gilgit-Baltistan ,and at the southwest corner of Xinjiang

Ladakh has more importance due to its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes, but as Chinese authorities closed the borders between Tibet Region and Ladakh in the 1960s, international trade declined. From 1974 The Government of India has successfully encouraged Tourism in Ladakh.Ladakh is an strategically important so the Indian Military maintains a strong presence in the region.

Leh is the largest town in Ladakh, followed by Kargil each of Headquarters a district. Leh has Indus, Shyok and Nubra river valleys And The Kargil District contains the Suru, Dras and Zanskar river valleys. The main religious groups in the region are Muslims (Mainly Shia) 46%, Buddhists (Mainly Tibetan Buddhists) 40%, and Hindus 12% and the remaining 2% are made of other religions.

Ladakh was established as a Union Territory of India on 31st October 2019. Ladakh is both The Largest and The Second Largest populous Union Territory Of India.

Name and thier Roots

La dwags or la dak (Ladakh) means the “Lands Of High Passes”. Ladak is its Pronunciation in several Tibetan dialects. And The English spelling Ladakh is derived from Persian

The Region was previously known as Maryul. Medival Islamic scholars referred to Ladakh ads “Great Tibet,” which comes from the Turko Arabic Word which is “Ti-bat,” which means “Highland.” They called Baltistan and other nearby areas in Kashmir as “Little Tibets.” It is known as Ma-Lo-Pho (By Hiuen Tsang) or Lal Bhumi. Names in the local language include Kanchapa which means Land Of Snow and Ripul which means Country Of Mountains.

Here are Top 5 Places To Visit In Ladakh

1. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib

Our 1st Place from Top 5 Places To Visit In Ladakh Is “Gurudwara Pathar Sahib” which is a beautiful Gurudwara Sahib constructed in the Memory of Guru Nanak, about 25 miles away from Leh, on the Leh – Kargil road, 12000 ft. above sea level. The Gurudwara was Built in 1517 to commemorate the visit to the Ladakh region of Guru Nanak Dev, The Founder Guru of Sikh Faith.

During The Construction of the Leh-Nimu road in late 1970s, A Large boulder was found by Lamas in the middle of the Road Bed Covered with Buddhists prayer flags.

The Bulldozer driver tried to push the huge stone to the side, but it refused to move. Gunning the engine he Pushed the powerful machine to its limits, but the boulder refused to give way.

Suddenly, with a large snap, the blade broke and the work stopped. That night the driver had a dream in which a voice told him not to move the stone.In the morning he narrated his dream to one of the army officers who guard the mountain passes of Ladakh. The soldier told him, not to give any importance to the dream. When all efforts to remove the boulder had failed, it was decided to blow it apart with dynamite the next day. That night the army officer also had a dream not to remove the stone. He too decided the dream should be ignored, but early that morning, being Sunday, he and the workers were visited by several Lamas and other Ladhakhis who came to tell them the story of a Holy Saint they called Nanak Lama and the unyielding boulder.

They learned that the pathar the road crew had so much trouble with was a “mould” with a negative impression of their revered Lama Nanak  that contained a hollow imprint of his shoulders, head and backside. He was told that during the period of 1515-18 when Guru Nanak was returning to Punjab through Srinagar, after travelling to Sikkim, Nepal and Tibet, he had rested at this place. It is believed that Guru Nanak Dev reached Leh via Sikkim, Nepal, Tibet and Yarkhand. Today the site and the Gurdwara that now covers the boulder is revered by both the local Lamas and Sikh sangat. Currently the Army is looking after the Gurdwara.

For More Details Visit – https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Pathar_Sahib

Timing

4:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

2. Lamayuru – The Moonscape for Tourist

Lamayuru Was Founded In The 11th Century By “Mahasiddacarya Naropa.” Lamayuru which is also known as The Moonscape For Tourist . It is On The Leh – Srinagar Highway, and can be visited from Leh (if you directly move in Leh Using Flight) or If Your Are Moving from Srinagar To Leh. Its is Situated At a Distance of 127km From Leh (which is far abit) and it is at a Height of 3,510 meters. It also can easily be covered in a a day return trip from Leh. Lamayuru is know for its Monastery, and for its “Lunar” landscape promoted as a “Moonscape” for Tourists. The landscape is Icredible with its odd geological formations, though this is not unique to Lamayuru. Lamayuru Monastery is ancient, built inti the “Moonscape” .

Visitors can also see the glassed In Meditation Cave Of Lama Naropa. Lamayuru is a part of the Dri-Gungpa sector which is in western Ladakh. Lamayuru consisting of 5 Buildings, but unfortunate the structure is in Ruins Today. Lamayuru Also Attracts Tourists For Its Landscape Quite similar to the “Lunar Terrain.”

The Annual Festival is Known as Yuru Kabgyat is the Major Attraction of The Monastery. Mask Dance By the Lamas are the highlight of the Festival and Another important ritual followed during the festival That is the Burning Of Effigies which stands for Destruction of the Ego in Every Individual.

Timing

8:00 a.m. to Evening 5:00 p.m.

HOW TO REACH

• By Air :- The Nearest Airport is Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport, Leh
• By Train :- The Nearest Railway Station is Jammu
• By Road :- You may Reach here by Road via Srinagar-Kargil-Leh or Manali-Leh road.

3. Shanti Stupa – Buddhist White Domed Stupa

Shanti Stupa which is our 3 place from our Top 5 Places To Visit In Ladakh. Shanti Stupa is situated on a hilltop in Chanspa, Leh District, Ladakh. It was built in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist Bhikshu Gyomyo Nakamaru. The Shanti Stupa holds the relics of the Buddha at its Base, Enshrined By the 14th Dalai Lama himself. From Shanti Stupa We can get Beautiful and Panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Apart from its Religious Significance Shanti Stupa Become a Popular Tourist Attraction Because Its Beautiful View.

It is Situated at a Height of 4,267 meters with Overlooking the Leh CIty. It is situated at a distance of about 5km drive able road from the Leh city or you can reach here by climbing 500 steps.

It was built By the Ladakh and Japanese Buddhists, Ladakhis offered Voluntary Labor, Construction started in 1983 and it was Inaugurated in August 1991 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It is Built to Promote world Peace And Prosperity and to Commemorate the 2500 Years of Buddhism.

Timing

The Stupa Is Open For Tourists Between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Sunrise and Sunset are Considered to Provide The Best Views From Shanti Stupa.

4. Pangong Tso

Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is an Endorheic Lake Spanning eastern Ladakh And West Tibet. It is situated at an elevation of 4,225 meters. It is 134km long and Divided Into Five Sublakes, Called Pangong Tso, Tso Nyak, Rum Tso (Twin Lakes) and Nyak Tso. Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet administered by China and 40% in Indian – administered Ladakh, and the Remaining 10% is disputed and is a de facto buffer zone between India and China. The Lake is 5km wide at its broadest point.

During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It has a land – locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in Prehistoric times.

Name

There are different interpretations of the meanings of Both Pangong Tso and Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo. The Ladakh government website says “Pangong Tso” is Tibetan, meaning “high grassland lake”, however many books says that Pangong means “Hollow”.

Timing

12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

5. Khardung La

The 5th Place from our Top 5 Places To Visit In Ladakh is Khardung La or Khardung La is a mountain pass in the Leh District of the Indian Union Territory of Ladakh. Its elevation is 5,359 meter. Local Summit signs and dozens of stores of Leh market claims its elevation to be more than 5,602 meter and that is the world’s second highest motorable pass.

It plays a major role in History

Khardong La is Historically important because it lies on the major Caravan route from Leh to Kahgar In Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian Camels can still be seen at Hunder, In the Area north of the Pass.

During World War II there was an attempt to transfer war material to China through this route.

Khardung La is 39 km by road from Leh.

Ways To Reache

Leh is connected by road from Manali and Srinagar and daily flight are operated from Delhi. A Daily bus service to Nubra Valley passes over Khardung La which may also be reached by a hired car with an experienced driver or by motorcycle. The two bases on either side of Khardung La are North Pullu and South Pullu.