Gurudwara Pathar Sahib

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib is a Sikh shrine about 25 km west of Leh on the Leh to Kargil road in Ladakh, built around a large boulder that tradition links to Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Guru Nanak is believed to have passed through Ladakh around 1517 on one of his long journeys, and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib marks the spot where his story is told.

According to the legend, a demon troubling the local people rolled a huge boulder down the hill onto Guru Nanak while he sat in meditation. The rock turned soft as wax when it touched him and stopped, keeping the imprint of his back, while the demon's foot left a mark when he kicked it. The boulder, with the shapes pointed out, is kept inside the gurdwara. The shrine is maintained by the Indian Army, and soldiers serve tea, and often langar, the free community meal, to everyone who stops. Buddhists in the region also venerate the site.

What to see

• The sacred boulder with the imprint linked to Guru Nanak
• The prayer hall, where the Guru Granth Sahib is read
• The free tea and karah prasad served by soldiers
• The stark mountain setting on the highway
• The view down the Indus valley west of Leh

What to wear

As at every gurdwara, cover your head (scarves are provided at the entrance), remove shoes and wash your feet, and dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered. Tobacco and alcohol are not allowed on the premises. The site is at about 3,600 metres and exposed to wind, so a warm layer and sunglasses help. Ladakhi villagers along this road may wear the goncha, the long woollen robe tied with a sash.

Local food to try

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib is itself a place to eat: karah prasad, a sweet wheat halwa, is shared with every visitor, and langar and tea are served by the army. The meal is always vegetarian. For more, the dhabas at Nimmu and Basgo, further west, serve thukpa, momos, dal and rice, and back in Leh you can try skyu and butter tea.

Good to know

• Best from May to October on a clear morning
• Open daily, in daylight hours
• Free entry; donations welcome
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes
• About 25 km west of Leh, 40 minutes by road
• Photography is allowed outside; ask inside the prayer hall

Nearby places

Gurudwara Pathar Sahib is on the same stretch of road as Magnetic Hill, a few kilometres further west, and the Indus and Zanskar confluence at Nimmu. The Hall of Fame is on the way back to Leh.