Leh

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?Leh Jammu and Kashmir • India
View of Leh from Namgyal Hill
Leh
Coordinates: 34°10′N 77°35′E / 34.17, 77.58
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	• 3,500 m (11,483 ft)
District(s)	Leh District
Population	27,513 (2001)
Website: www.leh.nic.in

Coordinates: 34°10′N 77°35′E / 34.17, 77.58

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 Leh Palace, former home of the royal family of Ladakh, which resembles a mini-Potala Palace. Leh is at an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,483ft).

Contents 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 3,500 metres (11,483 feet). Average annual rainfall is 90 mm. The temperature can range from −28 °C in winter to 33 °C in summer.

Principal roads include the 434 km 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

The town is dominated by the royal palace, known as Leh Palace. This 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 south to their current home in Stok Palace on the southern bank of the Indus. 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 old mosque below Leh Palace is a Sunni Muslim mosque. It was constructed under the threat of military action^{[citation needed]} 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 District'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^[3], Leh town had a population of 27,513. Males constitute 61% of the population and females 39%, due to a large presence of non-local labourers, traders and government employees. 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 Gompa Soma 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 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.^[4][5]

[edit] Pictures

Leh Bazaar prior to 1871	View of Leh	The ruined Royal Palace at Leh.	Leh, capital of Ladakh ca. 1857
Shanti Stupa, constructed in 1983 by the Japanese	Leh Palace	Leh Mosque	Old Market

[edit] See also

• Wikipedia:WikiProject Indian cities

[edit] Further reading

• Lonely Planet: Trekking in the Himalayas (Walking Guides) [1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Leh
2. ^ The Journey from Kashmir
3. ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
4. ^ People Groups in Ladakh
5. ^ Ladakh city

[edit] External links

• Leh at Wikitravel
• Manali-Leh Bicycle Adventure, documenting the region through photographs
• Leh Ladakh Travel information
• Leh Ladakh Travel
• Population Figures
• Indian Government website of Leh
• Ladakh Culture
• [2] Images of Ladakh encompassing Leh by User:Pipimaru
• Facts and Figures of Leh
• Ladakh Muslims At A Glance: Islam in Ladakh
• City of Leh Thrives as Oasis of Peace in Kashmir
• Ladakh: Rapport n~1
• Daily excelsior...state
• Religious groups in Ladakh
• International Association for Ladakh Studies 11th colloquium Leh, 21-25 July 2003
• History, Regions, Places of Interest and Climate of Leh Ladakh
• Jullay.com Community portal of ladakh
• Film on Leh
• Ladakh seen by two amator photographers (2006)
• WanderingScapes: A travel blog and photographs featuring Ladakh (2007)
• Photos of Leh & Ladakh, 1280x960

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