Ladakh

Ladakh is a colorful highland region located in the middle of the Western Himalayas. Translated from the Tibetan language, the name of this area sounds like "high passes". For a long period of time, Ladakh was closed to visitors, and only in 1974 tourists were allowed to land their flights 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 external environment for a long time, it was possible to preserve the features of centuries-old traditions, as well as an unusual way of life. In Ladakh and in our times, they are happy to wear national costumes, they are engaged in folk crafts that have passed many centuries.

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

In Ladakh, the oldest temple buildings, as well as government palaces, have survived to our time. Here you can see 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 the monasteries in Ladakh in the morning, when the service is in progress. Only in Tibetan monasteries can you see unique colored figurines that are made from butter and barley flour.

Buddhist relics are usually kept in Tibetan stupas, which are gloomy buildings without windows and doors.

Barrows, 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.

The city of Leh has an airport where foreign tourists usually land. In addition, roads can be closed for a long time, so air travel is the only way to get to Ladakh. When the roads to the mountainous area open, buses and fixed-route taxis run here quite often.