Shanti Stupa

Shanti Stupa is a white-domed Buddhist stupa on a hilltop at Chanspa above Leh, Ladakh, built as a peace pagoda to promote world peace. Shanti Stupa was completed in 1991 by Japanese and Ladakhi Buddhists and inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama, and it enshrines relics of the Buddha at its base.

Shanti Stupa is one of many peace pagodas around the world inspired by the Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fujii and his Nipponzan Myohoji order, and it was built under the Japanese monk Gyomyo Nakamura with support from Ladakhis. Shanti means peace. The two-level stupa is decorated with gilded relief panels showing scenes from the Buddha's life, including his birth, his enlightenment and his death. It can be reached by road or by a steep flight of several hundred steps from Changspa. From the top there are sweeping views over Leh town, Leh Palace and the Stok range, and it is the classic place to watch the sunset in Leh.

What to see

• The gilded panels of the Buddha's life around the upper tier
• The central golden Buddha image facing the town
• Sunset over Leh Palace and the Stok range
• The small Japanese-style temple beside the stupa
• The steps from Changspa, lined with prayer flags

What to wear

Shanti Stupa is a religious site, so cover shoulders and knees, walk clockwise around the stupa and do not climb on it. Evenings turn cold quickly at 3,600 metres, even in July, so bring a warm layer for sunset. Wear shoes with grip for the steps. Ladakhis traditionally wear the goncha, a long woollen robe tied with a bright sash, and you may see it on local families visiting at sunset.

Local food to try

Changspa Road, below Shanti Stupa, is lined with cafes and garden restaurants serving Ladakhi, Tibetan and Indian food. Try thukpa noodle soup, skyu (a hearty stew of thumb-pressed wheat pasta and vegetables), momos, khambir flatbread with apricot jam, and salty butter tea, and sea buckthorn juice. Vegetarian food is everywhere. For halal meat, the Muslim eateries near the Jama Masjid in the Main Bazaar are about 2 km away.

Good to know

• Best from May to September; sunset and early morning are finest
• Open daily, morning to evening
• Free entry
• Allow 45 minutes to an hour
• About 3 km from the Main Bazaar at Chanspa; drive up or climb the steps
• Take the steps slowly in your first days in Leh

Nearby places

From Shanti Stupa you look straight across to Leh Palace. The Main Bazaar and Soma Gompa are about 3 km away in the town centre.