Day 2
Explore Leh & Sham Valley
After breakfast, explore Leh. Leh was an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and also between India and China for centuries. Mountains dominate the landscape around Leh as it is at an altitude of 3,500m. Today, visit Shey & Thiksey Monastery with Leh Palace & Spituk Monastery, Hall of Fame & Shanti Stupa. The Shey Monastery or Gompa, 15 kilometers to south of Leh; the ruins of this former summer palace of the kings of Ladakh is perched high up on a rocky cliff. The 12m Sakyamuni Buddha statue made of gold-plated copper by King Singge Namgyal's son Deldan Namgyal, is the largest in the area. King Deldan Namgyal constructed Shey Palace in the early 17th century AD. Leh Palace is a former royal palace overlooking the town of Leh. The palace was abandoned when Dogra forces took control of Ladakh in the mid-19th century and forced the royal family to move to Stok Palace. Spituk is yet another interesting monastery, on the hill top near Indus about 18 kms from Leh on Srinagar road. The Spituk monastery offers a commanding view of Indus. It has a totally new Gompa within the monastery as well as the old Gompa has also been restored. It is constructed in a series of tiers with courtyards and steps. Higher up in the hill is a chamber which houses the enormous statue of goddess. Its face is covered and uncovered only once in a year during the festival time. Thiksey Monastery, affiliated to Gelugpa or the Yellow Hat sect of Buddhism, is located at a distance of around 19 km from the town of Leh. The 12-storeyed monastery is built atop a hill and structured in a unique hierarchical manner, where the top of the hill has the monastery and the official residence of the chief Lama while the foot of the hill has living quarters. Hall of Fame is a museum constructed by the Indian Army in memory of the brave Indian soldiers who laid down their lives defending the motherland in the Indo-Pak wars. Later in the evening, visit the ‘Shanti Stupa’. The Shanti Stupa is a white-colored domed-shaped structure, which looks extremely beautiful during night when it is illuminated. This peace pillar was built by a Japanese Buddhist Organization to celebrate the completion of 2500 years of Buddhism and for the promotion of world peace. One can reach the top via road or by climbing 500 steps. Reaching the top via those steps (at such altitude) gives a whole new dimension for your efforts, which one would understand once they reach the summit.
