Kargil War Memorial
Kargil war memorial, built by the Indian army following the war with neighboring Pakistan in the late nineties is frequented by travelers plying the highway connecting Srinagar to Leh. The memorial houses some of the major sequence of events that happened during the course of the war along with details of the Indian army personnel, who sacrificed their lives in the process of recapturing some of the peaks occupied by the Pakistan army; like the Tiger Hill and Tololong. The memorial has a memento shop, selling hats, T-shirts, coffee mugs etc. But the main attraction of the whole memorial is the Sandstone wall, in the open, which has the names of all the Indian army personnel, who laid their lives during the Kargil war. Visitors to the memorial can also see from there, some of the peaks that the Indian army captured back from Pakistan.
Lamayuru Monastery
Nestled in Lamayouro, Yuru or the Lamayuru Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. Perched at an altitude of 11520 ft., the monastery is one of the fascinating places to visit in Ladakh. The oldest gompa is also one of the largest monasteries in Ladakh famed as Tharpa Ling which means the ‘place of freedom’. Nearly 150 monks belong to the monastery and 30-40 still reside at the gompa belonging to the Red-Sect of Buddhism. The monastery lures spirituality learners and tourists who wish to spend some time at a beautiful location amidst the sacred aura. The gompa also serves as the meditation center. Tranquil ambiance and scenic location of the monastery is mesmerizing.
Phugtal Monastery
Phugtal Monastery in Ladakh, a legendary cave gompa is tucked amidst the remote and isolated town of Phuktal or Phugtal. Counted as one of the only Buddhist monasteries in Leh Ladakh that is accessible only by foot, the Phugtal monastery is nestled on the cliff-side next to the River Lungnak. Nearly 70 monks dwell at this monastery which is believed to have been founded by GangsemSherapSampo in 12th century. The monastery has been a place for meditation, retreat, teaching and learning for ages. Phuk means ‘cave’ and tal means ‘at leisure’ or it’s another version goes as Phukthar where thar means ‘liberation’. Hence, the cave is called as the ‘cave of leisure’ or ‘cave of liberation’.
Rangdum Monastery
Located between Kargil and Padum in the northernmost part of India, Rangdum monastery is an old Buddhist shrine and monastic home. Being perched on a hill top, the monastery looks like a fort keeping an eye on the serene valley. One of the major tourist attractions in Ladakh, this renowned Tibetan Buddhist monastery belongs to the Gelupa sect. Legends has it that the sacred monastery was built during the reign of King Tsewang Mangyul of Ladakh, close to about 200 years ago. Although, some believe that its construction started long time back in the 8th century. The architecture of the Rangdum monastery in Ladakh boasts of a central prayer hall, which houses a marvelous collection of statues and art objects.
Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill (also called Point 5062) is a mountain in the Drass-Kargil area of Jammu & Kashmir, India. It is one of the highest peaks in the area and was the subject of a battle during the 1999 India-Pakistan Kargil War. Its recapture was one of the most important objectives for Indian forces during the Kargil War. Since Tiger Hill is the highest peak in the sector, the Pakistani forces who held the peak could easily see the military headquarters of the 56 Brigade, the main Indian force in charge of the area. Tiger Hill overlooks the National Highway 1D (India), a strategic route to Siachen Glacier and connects Srinagar to Leh in Ladakh which enabled the Pakistanis to watch the Srinagar-Leh Highway, the main supply route of the Kargil Sector, and relay information of troop and supply movements to their superiors. They can easily direct fire on a 25 km stretch of the national highway.