Forts, Palaces, and Mansions of Ladakh

 Text and Photographs by Mr. Sachin Vaidya Leh Palace (Lehchen Pelkhar) is the most popular tourist destination in Ladakh. Ladakh is an union territory in India. No visit to Ladakh is complete without a visit to the Leh Palace. However, the Palace should be visited only after mandatory twenty four hours of acclimatization if tourists arrive at Leh by flight. Leh town is at an altitude of 11,562 ft. Even though vehicles can go directly to the Palace gate, a lot of walking (including climbing a few steps) is involved if one is interested in visiting the Palace in its entirety. Of course, only a limited portion of the Palace is open to tourists. An ideal way to visit Leh Palace is a walk through the Leh market; however for this walking, minimum two nights acclimatization is required at Leh town. The nine-storied Palace was neglected for decades; but thanks to conservation measures by Government, the Palace is in a better position. The Palace appears to be a miniature version of Potala...