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Ladakh is a land abounding in
awesome physical features, set in an enormous and spectacular
environment. Bounded by two of the world\\\'s mightiest mountain
ranges, the Karakoram in the north and the Great Himalaya
in the south, it is traversed by two other parallel chains,
the Ladakh Range and the Zanskar Range. Today a high-altitude
desert, sheltered from the rain-bearing clouds of the Indian
monsoon by the barrier of the Great Himalaya, Ladakh was once
covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of which
still exist on its south-east plateaux of Rupshu and Chushul,
in the drainage basins or lakes of Tso-moriri, Tso-kar and
Pangong-tso. But the main source of water is winter snowfall.
Sightseeing
Sightseeing of the historic monuments and major Buddhist gompas
(monasteries) are the main attractions of Ladakh. the capital,
since the building of its nine-storey Leh Palace in
the early 17th century. A few kilometres up the Indus is Shey
Palace, the most ancient capital, with its palace and
temples. Down river, Basgo, right on the road, and
Tingmosgang, a short distance up a side- valley, both
served as royal capitals when the Old Kingdom was temporarily
divided into two parts in the 15th century. Both these places
have the remains of forts and temples dating from the period
of their brief glory. Just across the river from Leh lies
Stok, the village with which the
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