Leh district is a district in the union territory of Ladakh, India. With an area of 45,110 ''km''^''2'', it is the second largest district in the country smaller only to Kutch. It is bounded on the north by

Gilgit-Baltistan Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

Kharmang The Kharmang Valley (), also known as Kartaksho, is one of the five main valleys situated in Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The area became an individual district in 2015, with its temporary headquarters set at the town of Tolti. The valley is loc ...

and Ghanche districts and Xinjiang's

Kashgar Prefecture Kashgar Prefecture, also known as Kashi Prefecture, is located in southwestern Xinjiang, China, located in the Tarim Basin region (roughly the southern half of Xinjiang). It has an area of and 4,499,158 inhabitants at the 2015 census with a pop ...

and Hotan Prefecture linked via the historic Karakoram Pass. It has

Aksai Chin Aksai Chin is a region administered by China as part of Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang and Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. It is claimed by India to be a part of its Leh District, Ladakh Union Territory. It is a part of th ...

and Tibet are to the east, Kargil district to the west, and

Lahul and Spiti The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul () and Spiti (; or ). The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were merged ...

to the south. The district headquarters is in Leh. It lies between 32 to 36 degree north latitude and 75 to 80 degree east longitude. The whole of Ladakh was under the administration of Leh until 1 July 1979, when the Kargil and Leh administrative districts were created. Religion has been a source of grievances between Buddhists and Muslims since the late 20th century and was a contributor to this division. In 2017, the district was declared a tobacco-free zone. The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir under the National Tobacco Control Programme began working towards the designation early in 2017 and the status was declared in August. Rehana Kousar (in-charge, NTCP, Kashmir) said that work was done with civil society, religious and women's groups and that a "major success was achieved by the involvement of women in the anti-tobacco campaign." In August 2019, the Parliament of India passed an act that contained provisions to make Leh a district of the new union territory of Ladakh, which was formed 31 October 2019.

Administration

There are seven sub-divisions and twelve tehsils. The sub-divisions are:

Nubra Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Leh district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name ...

Durbuk Durbuk or Darbuk, is a village and the headquarters of the eponymous subdivision and block in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.

(Durbok),

Khalatse Khaltse or Khalsi is the headquarters of the eponymous subdivision, block and tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.

(Khaltsi/Khalsi), Leh, Kharoo, Likir,

Nyoma Nyoma is a principal village of southern Ladakh in India, the headquarters of an eponymous subdivision, tehsil and community development block in the Leh district.Panamik Panamic or Panamik is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh in India. It is located in the Nubra tehsil. Hot sulphur springs are found in the village. Panamik is a contraction of སྤང་ན་ཆུ་མིག་ 'Spang na Chumik', ...

Sumoor Sumoor is a village and tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.Leh tehsils

Turtuk Turtuk ཏུར་ཏུཀ་ is a village and the headquarters of an eponymous community development block in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is a small village sandwiched between Karakorum Range and Himalayas. and one of the north ...

, and

Diskit Diskit is a village and headquarter of the Nubra tehsil and the Nubra subdivision in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.Nubra Valley Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Leh district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name ...

Durbuk Durbuk or Darbuk, is a village and the headquarters of the eponymous subdivision and block in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.

Khalatse Khaltse or Khalsi is the headquarters of the eponymous subdivision, block and tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.

, Saspol, Leh, Chuchot, Kharoo, Likir,

Nyoma Nyoma is a principal village of southern Ladakh in India, the headquarters of an eponymous subdivision, tehsil and community development block in the Leh district.Leh tehsils
As a result of ''The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019'', Leh district would claim de jure jurisdiction over the following areas of Pakistani-administered Kashmir: Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, and Tribal territory, making it slightly smaller than the country of Tunisia. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh (LAHDC Leh), is the Autonomous District Council that administers the Leh district. As of July 2019, Leh district is divided into 7 sub-divisions (new sub-divisions in Leh), 12 tehsils (new tehsils in Panamik, Turtuk, Chuchot and Likir) and 18 (new blocks in Sumoor and Likir) blocks.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Leh district had a population of 133,487, roughly equal to the nation of Saint Lucia. This gives it a ranking of 609th in India (out of a total of

640 Year 640 ( DCXL) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 640 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the pr ...

). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 13.87%, (it was 30.15% for 1991–2001). Leh has a sex ratio of 690 females for every 1000 males (this varies with religion), and a

literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

of 77.2%.

Religion

Languages

Ladakhi is the most spoken language ,Hindi/ Urdu is the second largest language, mainly spoken in Leh. Balti is found in

near the boundary with Gilgit-Baltistan.

Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken diale ...

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

, Marathi and

Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...

are all mainly spoken in Leh. Urdu and English are widely understood in Leh.

Politics

Parliamentary Constituency

The district falls under

Ladakh (Lok Sabha constituency) Ladakh Lok Sabha seat is the only Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituency of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It is the largest such constituency in India, in terms of area, with a total area of . The number of electors (voters) in the con ...

. The present Member of Parliament (MP) of Ladakh is

Jamyang Tsering Namgyal Jamyang Tsering Namgyal (born 4 August 1985) is an Indian politician and Member of Parliament from Ladakh, India's largest parliamentary seat geographically. Namgyal was elected, on 9 November 2018, to be the youngest and 8th Chief Executive Co ...

of the

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mo ...

Assembly constituencies

Leh district had two assembly constituencies, Nubra and Leh under Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Since Ladakh is a union territory without legislature, it does not have a present legislative assembly.

Autonomous Hill Council

Leh District is administered by an elected body known as the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. The LAHDC was established in 1995. The latest elections were held in October 2020. The BJP secured 15 seats while the INC won 9 and the Independents won 2.

Transportation

Road

Leh is connected to the rest of India by two high-altitude roads both of which are subject to landslides and neither of which are passable in winter when covered by deep snows. The National Highway 1D from Srinagar via Kargil is generally open longer. The Leh-Manali Highway can be troublesome due to very high passes and plateaus, and the lower but landslide-prone Rohtang Pass near Manali. The third road axis is under construction. * National Highway 1 The overland approach to Ladakh from the Kashmir valley via the 434-km. National Highway 1 typically remains open for traffic from June to October/November. The most dramatic part of this road journey is the ascent up the 3,505 m (11,500 ft.) high Zoji-la, a tortuous pass in the Great Himalayan Wall. The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil. Taxis (cars and jeeps) are also available at Srinagar for the journey. * National Highway 3 or Leh-Manali Highway Since 1989, the 473-km Leh-Manali Highway has been serving as the second land approach to Ladakh. Open for traffic from June to late October, this high road traverses the upland desert plateaux of Rupsho whose altitude ranges from 3,660 m to 4,570 m. There are a number of high passes en route among which the highest one, known as

Tanglang La Taglang La or Tanglang La, elevation , is a high altitude mountain pass in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is located on the NH3 Leh–Manali Highway. Rail-cum-road tunnels are being constructed under the Taglang La, Lungalacha La (8 ...

, is sometimes (but incorrectly) claimed to be the world's second-highest motorable pass at an altitude of 5,325 m. (17,469 feet). See the article on

Khardung La Khardung La () or Khardung Pass is a mountain pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The pass is on the Ladakh Range, north of Leh, and connects the Indus river valley and the Shyok river valley. It also forms the ...

for a discussion of the world's highest motorable passes. * Nimmu–Padam–Darcha road This is the third road axis to Leh. It is currently under construction.

Air

Leh's Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport has flights to Delhi at least daily on

Air India Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, headquartered at New Delhi. It is owned by Talace Private Limited, a Special-Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Tata Sons, after Air India Limited's former owner, the Government of India, completed the s ...

which also provides twice-weekly services to

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

and a weekly flight to Srinagar. Passengers connect in Delhi for other destinations.

Go First Go First, founded as GoAir, is an Indian ultra-low-cost airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is owned by the Indian business conglomerate Wadia Group. In October 2017, it was the fifth largest airline in India with an 8.4% passenger m ...

operates Delhi to Leh daily flights during peak time.

Rail

There is no railway service currently in Ladakh, however, 2 railway routes are proposed- the Bilaspur–Leh line and Srinagar–Kargil–Leh line.

Gallery

Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe.jpg,

Tsomoriri Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri () or "Mountain Lake", is a lake in the Changthang Plateau (literally: northern plains) of Ladakh in India. The lake and surrounding area are protected as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve. The lake is at ...

lake Pangong Tso 2.jpg, Pangong lake India - Ladakh - Leh - 053 - flower fields outside my guesthouse (3844435507).jpg, Leh district flower fields and mountains

References

External links

Official Website of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh

Maps of India
Ladakh Tourism Guide
- Photo Gallery of Leh, Monasteries in Leh, NGO's in Leh, Important Phone #.
Shaam Region in Leh
(not to be confused with the Middle Eastern region) {{Coord, 34.1667, N, 77.5833, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:IN, display=title 1979 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir Leh Geography of Ladakh Minority Concentrated Districts in India Autonomous regions of India Districts of Ladakh