The Leh Palace is a historical royal palace which looks over the town of Leh-Ladakh amid the spectacular Himalayan mountain range. Sengge Namgyal built this majestic palace in 1600. The Dogra forces usurped control over Ladakh in the mid-19th century, leaving this beautiful palace completely abandoned while the royal family shifted to the Stok Palace. The palace is under the care and restoration initiatives of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The Leh Palace is 4.5 kms from the Leh Airport and is accessible via road. You can also hire a cab, to reach the palace from the airport. The Leh Palace is also 2.2 kms from the city center in Leh. The palace remains open to the general public. Its roof offers spellbinding views of Leh and its surrounding regions. It is near impossible to estimate the actual value of Leh Palace, which is priceless in every sense.
Leh Palace: History and important events
The Leh Palace is nine storeys high with the upper floors previously accommodating the royal family, while the lower floors contained store rooms and stables. A major portion of the Leh Palace is dilapidated although the Palace Museum has a fascinating collection of ornaments, jewellery, crowns and ceremonial dresses along with Tibetan paintings or Thangkas, which date back to 450 years. The intricate designs and vibrant colours are derived from powdered and crushed stones and gems. The structures surrounding the palace base include the well-known Namgyal Stupa and also the Chandazik Gompa with its lovely murals and the Chamba Lhakhang which dates back to 1430. A few remnants of murals from the medieval era are still present here.
In the early 15th century, Dragpa Bumdey, the Ladakh king, built the very first Leh fortifications along with a smaller residence for the royal family over the mountain ridge overlooking the main town. The king also set up Buddhist temples, two of them within the walls of the older town and the other beside the palace on the Tsemo peak, a mountain nearby. Around the 17th century, Leh transformed into the capital for the Ladakh Himalayan Kingdom which had authority over a large part of western Tibet. King Sengge Namgyal built the Leh Palace at this time and it was also called as the Lachen Palkar Palace.
Leh Palace: Key details
Here are some fascinating details about the Leh Palace:
The Leh Palace’s architecture draws inspiration from the Potala Palace in Lhasa, with medieval Tibetan design styles.
The building offers panoramic views of the town, with the captivating Stok Kangri Mountains in the background.
- Leh Palace is often called the forgotten monument, as it was once again abandoned after General Zorawar Singh and the Dogra Dynasty members fled after repeated onslaughts by forces from Baltistan and Tibet.
- The Leh Palace fuses elegant simplicity with grand design touches in its architectural motifs.
- The palace is not usually ornamented with glasswork and other vibrant patterns although its simplicity is what lends its special appeal.
- At the time of the construction of the Leh Palace, it was the world’s tallest building.
- Gazing upon the Leh Palace from far away in the dark creates a magical effect post sunset. The façade seems wonderfully illuminated with a golden light of its own
