Stok Palace
Text and Photographs by Mr. Sachin Vaidya Stok Palace was built by ousted king of Ladakh - Tsespal Tondup Namgyal in 1825. After defeat by General Zorawar Singh, the former king's status was reduced to a 'jagirdar' (a nobleman) in the court of Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. Tsespal Tondup Namgyal had to leave Leh Palace and settle down at Stok village. Stok village is around sixteen kilometers from Leh. I visited the Palace during May 2010; at that time, it was private residence and a museum. A few years ago, a section of it had been converted into a heritage hotel. Side view of the Palace depicted its grandeur. As the Palace also housed a Buddhist temple, a prayer flag was seen in the courtyard. Street view from the Palace entrance was typical Ladakhi landscape. Following was the Palace Museum entrance: Snow capped mountains were visible after climbing the stairs. Photography inside the Palace was not permitted. Entry to the Palace Museum was shot from the courtyard. The ...