Ladakh

Ladakh is a colorful mountainous region located in the middle of the Western Himalayas. Translated from the Tibetan language, the name of this area sounds like "high passes". Ladakh was closed to visitors for a long period of time, and it was only in 1974 that tourists were allowed to board their flight here for the first time. Nowadays Ladakh belongs to India and is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is located next to Tibet. The city of Leh is the largest and most developed city in the area.

Given that this mountainous region has been isolated from the outside environment for a long time, it has managed to preserve the features of centuries-old traditions, as well as an unusual way of life. In Ladakh, even today, they are happy to wear national costumes and practice folk crafts that have passed for many centuries.

There were times when the Great Silk Road ran through Ladakh, and Buddhists built monastic buildings in the mountains themselves. The local territory came into the hands of Buddhist monks when China took over Tibet.

In Ladakh, the most ancient temple buildings, as well as government palaces, have survived to our time. Here you can see the buildings in the Tibetan architectural style, in which various monasteries are represented. Religious festivals are held annually within the walls of these sacred buildings. It is best to visit monasteries in Ladakh in the morning, when the service is in progress. Only in Tibetan monasteries can you see unique colored figurines, which are made with butter and flour of the barley variety.

Buddhist relics are usually kept in Tibetan stupas, which are gloomy buildings with no windows or doors.

The mounds, which are located both near the roads themselves and near the monasteries, attract attention. These huge stone mounds appeared as a result of the tradition of throwing stones by travelers to continue the easy way.

There is an airport in the city of Leh, where foreign tourists usually land. In addition, highways can be closed for a long time, so flights are the only way to get to Ladakh. When the roads to the mountainous area open, buses and minibuses run here quite often.