Leh

From Jatland Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.)
Leh district map
Location of Leh with respect to the Line of Control

Leh (लेह) is a city and a district of the union territory of Ladakh in India.

Variants

Location

Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former residence of the royal family of Ladakh, built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace in Tibet. Leh is at an altitude of 3,524 m (11,562 ft), and is connected via National Highway 1 to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via the Leh-Manali Highway (part of National Highway 3).

Jat clans

History

Leh was an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and also between India and China for centuries. The main goods carried were salt, grain, pashm or cashmere wool, charas or cannabis resin from the Tarim Basin, indigo, silk yarn and Banaras brocade.

Although there are a few indications that the Chinese knew of a trade route through Ladakh to India as early as the Kushan period (1st to 3rd centuries CE),[1] and certainly by Tang dynasty,[2] little is actually known of the history of the region before the formation of the kingdom towards the end of the 10th century by the Tibetan prince, Skyid lde nyima gon (or Nyima gon), a grandson of the anti-Buddhist Tibetan king, Langdarma (r. c. 838 to 841). He conquered Western Tibet although his army originally numbered only 300 men. Several towns and castles are said to have been founded by Nyima gon and he apparently ordered the construction of the main sculptures at Shey. "In an inscription, he says he had them made for the religious benefit of the Tsanpo (the dynastical name of his father and ancestors), and of all the people of Ngaris (Western Tibet). This shows that already in this generation Langdarma's opposition to Buddhism had disappeared."[3] Shey, just 15 km east of modern Leh, was the ancient seat of the Ladakhi kings.

During the reign of Delegs Namgyal (1660–1685),[4] the Nawab of Kashmir, which was then a province in the Mughal Empire, arranged for the Mongol army to temporarily leave Ladakh, though it returned later. As payment for assisting Delegs Namgyal in the Tibet-Ladakh-Mughal war of 1679–1684, the Nawab made a number of onerous demands. One of the least was to build a large Sunni Muslim mosque in Leh at the upper end of the bazaar in Leh, below the Leh Palace. The mosque reflects a mixture of Islamic and Tibetan architecture and can accommodate more than 500 people. This was apparently not the first mosque in Leh; there are two smaller ones which are said to be older.[5]

Several trade routes have traditionally converged on Leh, from all four directions. The most direct route was the one the modern highway follows from the Punjab via Mandi, the Kulu valley, over the Rohtang Pass, through Lahaul and on to the Indus Valley, and then downriver to Leh. The route from Srinagar was roughly the same as the road that today crosses the Zoji La (pass) to Kargil, and then up the Indus Valley to Leh. From Baltistan there were two difficult routes: the main on ran up the Shyok Valley from the Indus, over a pass and then down the Hanu River to the Indus again below Khalsi (Khalatse). The other ran from Skardu straight up the Indus to Kargil and on to Leh. Then, there were both the summer and winter routes from Leh to Yarkand via the Karakoram Pass and Xaidulla. Finally, there were a couple of possible routes from Leh to Lhasa.[6]

The first recorded royal residence in Ladakh, built at the top of the high Namgyal ('Victory') Peak overlooking the present palace and town, is the now-ruined fort and the gon-khang (Temple of the Guardian Divinities) built by King Tashi Namgyal. Tashi Namgyal is known to have ruled during the final quarter of the 16th century CE.[7] The Namgyal (also called "Tsemo Gompa"='Red Gompa', or dGon-pa-so-ma='New Monastery'),[8]a temple, is the main Buddhist centre in Leh.[9]There are some older walls of fortifications behind it which Francke reported used to be known as the Dard Castle. If it was indeed built by Dards, it must pre-date the establishment of Tibetan rulers in Ladakh over a thousand years ago.[10]

The Sankar Labrang (Bsam dkar bla brang) is a small, two-storeyed building owned by Sankar monastery. Sankar monastery is the seat of Bakula Rinpoche, immediately to the northwest of Leh. The monastery's Labrang building is located in the old town of Leh, in the Manikhang neighbourhood. Manikhang is the area between the main bazaar of Leh and the historic Stalam path that leads up to the royal palace. Four huge stūpas standing at this point mark the beginning of historic Leh. In recent memory, the Sankar Labrang had a metalsmith's workshop downstairs, while upstairs lived the monk caretaker of the White Maitreya Temple (Byams khang dkar po), also known locally as "Street Maitreya". The White Maitreya Temple dates back to the reign of King Drakpa Bumd´e (Grags pa 'bum lde, r. ca 1410–1435), following the arrival of a mission sent to Ladakh by the Tibetan lama Tsongkhapa.[11]

Below this are the Chamba (Byams-pa, i.e., Maitreya) and Chenresi (sPyan-ras-gzigs, i.e. Avalokiteshvara) monasteries which are of uncertain date.[12]

In Mahabharata

Lohita (लॊहित) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II 24.16)

Sabha Parva, Mahabharata/Book II Chapter 24 mentions countries subjugated by Arjuna that lay to the North. Lohita (लॊहित) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II 24.16). [13]....Having vanquished in battle the Puru king, as also the robber tribes, of the mountains, the son of Pandu brought (Arjuna) under his sway the seven tribes called Utsava-sanketa. That bull of the Kshatriya race then defeated the brave Kshatriyas of Kashmira and also king Lohita along with ten minor chiefs.

Sandhya Jain[14] writes....195. Lohita (लॊहित) - Subdued by Arjuna after Kashmir (II 24.16); could indicate modern Leh.

Jat History

Vijender Singh Gatt

Attractions in Leh

  1. Leh Palace
  2. Namgyal Tsemo Monastery
  3. Shanti Stupa, Ladakh
  4. Cho Khang Gompa
  5. Chamba Temple
  6. Jama Masjid
  7. Gurdwara Pathar Sahib
  8. Sankar Monastery
  9. War Museum
  10. The Victory Tower
  11. Zorawar Fort
  12. Ladakh Marathon
  13. Datun Sahib
  14. Ice Stupa

Leh Palace

The royal palace, known as Leh Palace, was built by King Sengge Namgyal (1612–1642),[15] presumably between the period when the Portuguese Jesuit priest, Francisco de Azevedo, visited Leh in 1631, and made no mention of it, and Sengge Namgyal's death in 1642.[16]

The Leh Palace is nine storeys high; the upper floors accommodated the royal family, and the stables and storerooms are located on the lower floors. The palace was abandoned when Kashmiri forces besieged it in the mid-19th century. The royal family moved their premises south to their current home in Stok Palace on the southern bank of the Indus River.

As has already been mentioned, the original name of the town is not sLel, as it is nowadays spelled, but sLes, which signifies an encampment of nomads. These Tibetan nomads were probably in the habit of visiting the Leh valley at a time when it had begun to be irrigated by Dard colonisers. Thus, the most ancient part of the ruins on the top of rNam-rgyal-rtse-mo hill at Leh are called 'aBrog-pal-mkhar (Dard castle).[17]

In 2010, Leh was heavily damaged by the sudden floods caused by a cloud burst.

Gallery

लेह

लेह भारत के लद्दाख़ केन्द्र शासित प्रदेश की राजधानी है। यह लेह ज़िले का मुख्यालय है और ज़िले तथा पूरे लद्दाख़ प्रदेश का सबसे बड़ा शहर है। लेह समुद्र तल से 3,524 मीटर (11,562 फुट) की ऊँचाई पर, श्रीनगर से 160 मील पूर्व तथा यारकंद से लगभग 300 मील दक्षिण, लद्दाख पर्वत श्रेणी के आँचल में, ऊपरी सिंधु नदी के दाहिने तट से 4 मील दूर स्थित है। लेह ज़िले के पूर्व में अक्साई चिन और तिब्बत का न्गारी विभाग, उत्तर में शक्सगाम घाटी व शिंजियांग, दक्षिण में हिमाचल प्रदेश और पश्चिम में कारगिल ज़िला स्थित है। इतिहास में लेह इन सभी स्थानों और इन से आगे के क्षेत्रों को जोड़ने वाले व्यापारिक मार्ग पर एक महत्वपूर्ण पड़ाव रहा है। लेह से श्रीनगर, कुल्लू घाटी और काराकोरम दर्रे को राजमार्ग जाते हैं। राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग-1 इसे पश्चिम में श्रीनगर से जोडता है। 19वीं व 20वीं शताब्दी में यहाँ डोगरा राजवंश का प्रभुत्व बन गया और आगे चलकर यह स्वतंत्र भारत का भी एक अभिन्न भाग बना। यहाँ एशिया की सर्वाधिक ऊँची मौसमी वेधशाला (meteorological observatory) है।

External links

References

  1. ↑ Hill (2009), pp. 200-204.
  2. ↑ Francke, A. H. (1977). A History of Ladakh. (Originally published as, A History of Western Tibet, (1907)). 1977 Edition with critical introduction and annotations by S. S. Gergan & F. M. Hassnain. Sterling Publishers, New Delhi. pp. 76-78
  3. ↑ Francke (1914), pp. 89-90.
  4. ↑ Francke (1977 edition), p. 20.
  5. ↑ Francke (1977 edition), pp. 120-123.
  6. ↑ Janet Rizvi. Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Edition. (1996). Oxford University Press, Delhi. ISBN 0-19-564546-4. pp. 109-111.
  7. ↑ Rizvi (1996), p. 64.
  8. ↑ Francke (1914), p. 70.
  9. ↑ Rizvi (1996), pp. 41, 64, 225-226.
  10. ↑ Rizvi (1996), pp. 226-227.
  11. ↑ Alexander, André, and Van Shaik, Sam. (2011). The Stone Maitreya of Leh: The Rediscovery and Recovery of an Early Tibetan Monument.. JRAS, Series 3, 21, 4(2011), p. 421.
  12. ↑ Francke (1914), p. 70.
  13. ↑ ततः काश्मीरकान वीरान क्षत्रियान क्षत्रियर्षभः, वयजयल लॊहितं चैव मण्डलैर थशभिः सह (II 24.16)
  14. ↑ Sandhya Jain: Adi Deo Arya Devata - A Panoramic View of Tribal-Hindu Cultural Interface, Rupa & Co, 7/16, Ansari Road Daryaganj, New Delhi, 2004,p.141
  15. ↑ "Incredible India | Leh Palace". incredibleindia.org.
  16. ↑ Rizvi (1996), pp. 69, 290.
  17. ↑ Francke (1914), p. 68. See also, ibid, p. 45.
Retrieved from "http://www.jatland.com/w/index.php?title=Leh&oldid=540634"