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Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist white-domed stupa (chorten) on a hilltop in
Chanspa, Leh district, Ladakh, in the north Indian state of Jammu and
Kashmir. It was built in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist Bhikshu, Gyomyo
Nakamura and part of the Peace Pagoda mission. The Shanti Stupa holds
the relics of the Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama
The stupa has become a tourist attraction not only due to its religious
significance but also due to its location which provides panoramic views
of the surrounding landscape.
The Shanti Stupa was built by both Japanese Buddhists and Ladakh
Buddhists. Original idea was stated by Nichidatsu Fujii (Fujii Guruji)
in 1914.
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The mission of Nichidatsu Fujii was to build Peace Pagodas and temples
over the world and try to resurrect Buddhism back in India.
Construction of the Shanti Stupa began in April 1983 under the
supervision of Bhikshu Gyomyo Nakamura and Kushok Bakula, a lama of
Ladakh from New Delhi, member of the Minority commission of Govt of
India, former statesman and former international diplomat of the
Republic of India.
The project was built with the help of Ladakhi Buddhists, who offered
voluntary labour, and Japanese Buddhists, who consider India as the
"sacred" birthplace of the Buddha. Then prime minister of India, Indira
Gandhi, sanctioned the construction of a vehicular road to the stupa in
1984. The state government also provided some financial assistance for
the construction of the Shanti Stupa. The 14th and current Dalai Lama,
Tenzin Gyatso inaugurated the Shanti Stupa in August 1991.
The Shanti Stupa was built to promote world peace and prosperity and to
commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism. It is considered a symbol of the
ties between the people of Japan and Ladakh.
Sunrise and sunset are considered to provide the best views from Shanti
Stupa. The stupa is illuminated with lights at night. The stupa is open
for tourists between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Situated at a height of 4,267 metres (13,999 ft), the stupa is located 5
kilometres (3.1 mi) from Leh - the former capital of Ladakh - on a steep
hill facing the Leh Palace. The stupa can
be reached by a drivable road or on foot using a series of 500 steep
steps to the hilltop.
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. The location of Shanti Stupa is such that
it is visible from all over Leh city.
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