Leh

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Coordinates: 34.17° N 77.58° E

Leh
Leh
State - District(s)	Jammu and Kashmir - Leh District
Coordinates	34.17° N 77.58° E
Area - Elevation	- 3,650 m
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Population (2001) - Density	27,513 -

Leh (Tibetan script: གླེ་; Wylie: Gle) was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, now the Leh District in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The town is still dominated by the now ruined Royal Palace, which resembles a mini-Potala Palace. Leh is at an altitude of 3650 meters (11,975 feet).

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
- 3.1 Religious Coexistence
4 Pictures
5 See also
6 Further reading
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Geography

Leh is located at 34.17° N 77.58° E^[1]. Its average elevation is 3650 metres (11975 feet). Average annual rainfall is 50 mm. The temperature can range from well below -30°C in winter and to 40°C in summer.

Principal roads include the 434km Srinagar-Leh highway which connects Leh with Srinagar and the 473 km Leh-Manali Highway which connects Manali with Leh. Both roads are open only on a seasonal basis.^[2]

[edit] History

View of Leh from Namgyal hill

The palace, known as Leh Palace, was built by King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century, but was later abandoned when Kashmiri forces besieged it in the mid-19th century. The royal family moved their premises to Stok Palace. The Leh Palace is nine storeys high; the upper floors accommodated the royal family, the stables and store rooms are located in the lower floors.

The mosque in Leh is a Sunni Muslim mosque. It was constructed under the threat of military action by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb which prompted King Deldan Namgyal to build the mosque in 1661. The mosque reflects a mixture of Islamic and Tibetan architecture and can accommodate more than 500 people.

Leh was an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and ultimately between India and China.

[edit] Demographics

According to 1981 Census, 81.18 % of Leh's population is Buddhist, 15.32 % Muslim, 2.99 % Hindus, 0.27 % Sikh and 0.23% Christians. The Muslim presence dates back to the annexation of Ladakh by Kashmir, after the Fifth Dalai Lama attempted to invade Ladakh from Tibet. Since then, there has been further migration from the Kashmir Valley due firstly to trade and latterly with the transfer of tourism from the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh.

As of 2001 India census^GRIndia, Leh had a population of 27,513. Males constitute 61% of the population and females 39%. Leh has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 65%. In Leh, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Religious Coexistence

The existence of Tibetan Buddhism and Islam in Leh resulted in conflict between the two religions. Mosques and Buddhist Gompas were destroyed whenever a religious war was initiated. Because the main Mosque, Jama Masjid and the Soma Gompa are situated not very far from one another, broadcasting of the Muslim prayers and Buddhist prayers have resulted in a cold war between these two communities. The Dalai Lama's made a visit to Leh in August 2003 to temples and mosques, and made a speech to stress religious pluralism among locals, to promote religious harmony.

The Christian community in Leh were converted from Tibetan Buddhism by German Moravian missionaries who first established a church in 1885.^[3]^[4]Buddhists have become increasingly wary as Buddhist children sometimes are fraudulently converted to Christianity.^[5] ^{[this source's reliability may need verification]}

[edit] Pictures

A panoramic view of Leh valley from the Shanti Stupa

Leh Bazaar prior to 1871	View of Leh	The ruined Royal Palace at Leh. Photograph (c) Ian A. Inman (Beefy_SAFC).	Leh, capital of Ladakh ca. 1857
Shanti Stupa, constructed in 1983 by the Japanese	Leh Palace	Leh Mosque	Old Market