Shanti Stupa, Leh
I have been going to India a lot lately, mostly for business, which is funny, because although I am from there, I have never done business dealing over there until last 2 years. This is quite a challenging experience, and these long trip away from my home in Houston is rather challenging for myself and my young family. The perks of these trips are always travel over the weekends while in India. I was in New Delhi over last September for 2 + weeks and was able to take one of the weekends off to travel to Leh, Ladakh.
Leh is a just 2 hours flight out of New Delhi. At that time, which is a shoulder season, there were 3 flight in the afternoon from New Delhi, all by Indi Go. They all go there and come back. I have never been to Leh before, and I understood it is remote, but I never had a proper idea how remote it actually is, even in summer.
When the high himalayan passes are open in the summer, Leh is 420 KM from Srinagar, the nearest big city to the NW, and 429 KM from Manali, the nearest big town to the SW. None of these places are 'big' by any standards. Also please do not trust google on this, there is no way you can get from Manali to Leh is a day by road, as you have to cross 4 major high altitude passes all above 16000 ft! It is basically two days drive in either direction, and two very long and rough days, if you are lucky. So flying is more efficient. In the winter, both roads are closed for 4 + months, and Leh is completely isolated at that time.
So with that said, is it worth going? Absolutely. I have never seen anything like it before. The town is at the back of the Indus River. Where it gets water it is nice and green. Like the picture above or the picture below, taken from the airplane:
But away from the water source or irrigation it is basically desert. The city/town is grey/dull yellow and dry, but it is becautiful at ground level.
Here is the rest of the town from the top of the Leh Palace. It is the formal Royal Palace, now converted to a museum, which towers of the town from the edge of a cliff. Here it is from a distance near sunset.
Here it is upclose, and well lit at night.
The picture of the city was taken from the top floot of the palace at daytime of course. Leh palace is spectacular and imposing, but that was not my favority spot at Leh. It was Shanti Stupa, at the other end of the town, again on top of a cliff.
And here it is up close and personal. It is built fairly recent, only in 1991, so it is nothing like Leh Palace, which was constructed in the 1600s; but the Shanti Stupa give you a sense of peace and calm when you get there and stay. The word 'shanti' means peace, in Sanskrit. On that even when I was visiting they were preparing for an open air prayer. I am told it was live streamed, but I haven't been able to track it down on YouTube. At an altitude of 11841 ft, it was chilly in the evening, and the Buddist prayer song of Om, Mani Padme Hum; made the atmosphere peaceful and somber. I spent about 2 hours there just sitting and absorbing the view of the Indua river valley below, until I felt cold and hungry and left for the town before for a dinner.
I think I will have to bring my kids here soonish, as I am sure they will love it.
