Shanti Stupa

History

Leh district lists Shanti Stupa among its tourist places as a white-domed peace monument overlooking the capital of Ladakh.

The stupa is a shared pilgrimage and viewpoint site; visitors typically combine it with Leh town circuits and other nearby monasteries listed on UT Ladakh tourism pages.

Stories

A Stupa Built by Volunteers

Construction began in April 1983 under the Japanese Buddhist monk Gyomyo Nakamura, with Ladakhi Buddhists giving voluntary labour and Japanese and Indian supporters providing funds. The idea of a peace stupa was promoted by Nichidatsu Fujii, founder of the Nipponzan-Myohoji order.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sanctioned a road to the site in 1984, and the Dalai Lama inaugurated the foundation in August 1985. The stupa was completed in 1991 to promote peace and mark 2,500 years of Buddhism.

Relics, Steps and a Sunset View

The stupa stands at about 3,609 metres on a hill in Chanspa, roughly 5 km from Leh. It can be reached by road or by a climb of 555 steep steps, and it holds relics of the Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama.

Its reliefs show the birth and death of the Buddha and his victory over temptation while meditating, with a golden Buddha seated on the wheel of Dharma. Sunrise and sunset are considered the best times for the view over Leh.

Good to know

White peace stupa with wide views over Leh

Listed on leh.nic.in tourist places

Often paired with Thiksey and Shey monasteries on day trips

Getting there

Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh. Road access from Leh town (short drive or walk up the hill). Ladakh has no in-UT railway; Jammu Tawi is the usual railhead for road approaches.