Jami Masjid
When
one had enough of the bazaar, head past the new green and white
painted Jami Masjid at the top of the street, and follow one of the
lanes that lead into the old town. Apart from the odd electric
cable, nothing much has changed here since the warren of flat roofed
houses, crumbling 'Chortens', 'Mani' Walls and narrow sandy streets
was laid down late in the 16th century - least of all the plumbing.
Chamba Temple
One place
definitely worth walking through the putrid smelling puddles to
visit, however, is the Chamba temple. It's not easy to find on your
own; ask at the second row of shops on the left after the big arch
for the key keeper (gonyer), who will show you the way. Hemmed in by
dilapidated medieval mansions, the one roomed shrine houses a
colossal image of Maitreya, the Buddha to come, and some wonderful
old wall paintings.
Leh
Palace
The old palace of the kings of Ladakh overlooks the town from the
southwest slope of the Tsemo hill. It has eight storeys and was
built by King Sengge Namgyal in the 16th century, at much the same
time as the famed Potala of Lhasa - which it resembles. The damage
to the palace, one side is gaping open, stems from the Kashmiri
invasions of the last century. Like the Shey palace the Leh palace
still belongs to the Ladakhi royal family, who now live in their
palace in Stok.
Leh Gompa
The Leh Gompa stands high above the palace and also overlooks the
ruins of the older palace of the King of Tagpebums. The Red Gompa
also known as Namgyal Tsemo Gompa was built in 1430 by King
Gvags-Pa-Bum-Ide and has a fine three-storey high seated Buddha
figure flanked by Avalokitesvara on the right and Manjushri on the
left. In all there are three Gompas at the top of the hill, the
topmost one is in a very ruined condition but offers extremely fine
views over Leh and the surrounding countryside. To the right of the
palace one can see a Buddha painted on the rocks, a remnant of an
earlier monastery.
Other Leh Gompas
There are a number of lesser Gompas in the old town of Leh - such as
the Guru Lakhang to the left of the palace, beneath the large
Chorten. The Chamba Lakhang, south of the palace, and the Chenrezig
Lakhang, to the southeast, are similarly less famous since they
contain little of interest compared to other more splendid Gompas
around Leh. In the centre of Leh the Buddhist association of Ladakh
in 1957 built the new monastery or Gompa Soma or Jokhang. It
contains an image of the Buddha Sakyamuni that was brought form
Tibet. Meetings of the Buddhist association are held in this
monastery.
Leh Fort
The Leh fort, built by Zorawar Singh, contains three temples but
cannot be visited because it is within the military camp area.
Shanti
Stupa
A relatively new addition to the rocky skyline around Leh is the
toothpaste white Shanti Stupa above Changspa village, 3-km west of
the bazaar. Inaugurated in 1983 by the Dalai Lama, the "Peace
Pagoda", whose sides are decorated with gilt panels depicting
episodes from the life of the Buddha, is one of several such
monuments erected around India by a "Peace Sect" of Japanese
Buddhists.
The Ecology Centre
Five minutes' walk north of the main bazaar, the Ecology centre
(Monday-Saturday 10.00 am - 5.00 pm) is the headquarters of LEDeG
(the Ladakh Ecological Development Group) - a local non governmental
organization that aims to counter the negative impact of western
style "development" by fostering economic independence and respect
for traditional culture. This involves promoting "appropriate"
technologies such as solar energy, encouraging organic farming and
cottage industries, and providing education on environmental and
social issues through village drama, workshops and seminars.
The garden hosts an open-air exhibition of solar gadgets, hydraulic
pumps, water mills and other ingenious energy saving devices that
have proved successful throughout Ladakh. There's also a small
library, and a handicraft shop, selling locally made clothes, 'Thangkas',
T-shirts, books and postcards.
Special Screenings
Try to catch a screening of LEDEG's short video Ancient Futures:
Learning from Ladakh (Monday-Saturday 4.00 pm), shown to a minimum
of ten people, which gives an insightful account of Ladakhi culture
and the sweeping changes of the past thirty years, many of them
direct results of tourism. The film is an excellent introduction to
the civilization, traditions and serves ecological and cultural
problems facing Ladakh.
Secmol
Secmol (The Student's Educational And Cultural Movement Of
Ladakh) was founded in 1988 by Ladakhi university students through a
problematic educational system. At present the curriculum, devised
in Srinagar and taught in Urdu and English, does not cover subjects
of local relevance. In the hope of maintaining pride in Ladakh's
traditions, SECMOL teaches local history and runs workshops on
handicrafts, agriculture and technology. Volunteer help from TEFL
qualified visitors is appreciated at the summer schools run just
outside Leh. If one likes to help, or want to meet members of SECMOL,
write in advance (To - SECMOL, Chubi Katpa, Leh), or drop into their
office on the northern outskirts of town (Monday-Saturday 2.00-6.00
pm), ten minutes' walk up the hill from Ali Shah's Postcard Shop.
The
Bazaar And Old Town
After settling into a hotel or guesthouse, most visitors spend their
first day in Leh soaking up the atmosphere of the bazaar. Sixty or
so years ago, this bustling tree lined boulevard was the busiest
market between Yarkhand and Kashmir. Merchants from Srinagar and the
Punjab would gather to barter for Pashmina wool brought down by
nomadic herdsmen from western Tibet, or for raw silk hauled across
the Karakorams on Bactrian camels. These days, though the street is
awash with kitsch curio shops and handicraft emporiums, it retains a
distinctly central Asian feel. Clean shaven Ladakhi Lamas in
sneakers and shades rub shoulders with half bearded Baltis from the
Karakoram and elderly Tibetan refugees whirring prayer wheels, while
now and again, snatches of Chinese music crackle out of the
shopkeepers transistor radios. At the bottom of the bazaar, women
from nearby villages, stovepipe hats perched jauntily on their
heads, sit behind piles of vegetables, spinning wool and chatting as
they appraise the passers by.
Atmosphere Of Shopping
Even if one is not hopping for trekking supplies, check out the
provision stores along the street, where bright pink, turquoise, and
wine-red silk cummerbunds hang in the windows. Inside, sacks of
aromatic spices, dried pulses, herbs and tea are stacked beside
boxes of license, soap and spare parts for kerosene stoves.
