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Leh Palace is a former royal palace overlooking the Ladakhi Himalayan
town of Leh. Modelled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the palace
was built by King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century. It is nine storeys
high; the upper floors accommodated the royal family, while the lower
floors held stables and store rooms.
The palace was abandoned when Dogra forces took control of Ladakh in the
mid 19th century, and the royal family moved to Stok Palace.
The ruined palace is being restored by the Archaeological Survey of
India. The palace is open to the public and the roof provides panoramic
views of Leh and the surrounding areas.
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The mountain of Stok Kangri in the Zangskar mountain range is visible
across the Indus valley to the south, with the Ladakh mountain range
rising behind the palace to the north.
The Palace Museum holds a rich collection of jewellery, ornaments,
ceremonial dresses and crowns. Chinese thangka or sooth paintings which
are more than 450 years old, with intricate designs, retain bright and
pleasing colours derived from crushed and powdered gems and stones.
The construction of the palace on the Tsemo Hill was initiated by
Tsewang Namgyal, the founder of the Namgyal dynasty of Ladakh in 1553
and was completed by his nephew Sengge Namgyal.
How to
reach
Nearest airport is Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe
Airport (Leh Airport) in Leh, which is connected to Delhi,
Chandigarh and Srinagar. The nearest railway station to Ladakh is Jammu.
From Jammu you can head to Srinagar by road and then to Ladakh, which is
some 434 kilometers away. It is about a two-day journey from Srinagar
with a night halt at Kargil.
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