Leh Old Town: One of The Last Well-Preserved Tibeto-Himalayan Urban Settlements in The Himalayas

The traditional houses of Leh Old Town are between 200 and 300 years old. Reports ETV Bharat's Rinchen Angmo Chumikchan

Leh: Leh Old Town is known for its traditional Ladakhi architecture and historical relevance, the area reflects the cultural and architectural identity of the region. It is characterised by narrow lanes, mud-brick houses, and centuries-old monasteries and houses standing as a testament to Ladakh's rich history.

The Leh Old Town Project was one of the winning entries in the 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards. The traditional houses of Leh old town are said to be between 200-300 years old.

The Leh Old Town Initiative (LOTI), formerly part of the Tibet Heritage Fund, has been working extensively to preserve this unique heritage. The initiative, founded by Andre Alexander in 2003, began with the restoration of a few homes that were in danger of being dismantled and replaced by modern cement structures.

“The Leh old town is one of the last well-preserved towns in the Himalaya region and a rare example of a well-preserved Tibeto-Himalayan urban settlement. The historic town consists of about two hundred buildings, including several Buddhist temples and mosques. It is located on the southern slope of a rocky hill dominated by the Leh palace.

Every house is an example of Himalayan vernacular architecture, and the maze of narrow alleys is the unique feature of the urban fabric of the Leh old town. Moreover, the old town is the home to the local community who have lived in their ancestral houses through the centuries. Leh old town still preserves Ladakh’s ‘living heritage’ and the preservation of the town is an important task to prevent it from being wiped away by the wave of unplanned modernization”, mentioned on the LOTI website.

Stanzin Dolker, Project Manager, Leh Old Town Initiative (LOTI), shares, " The founder, Andre Alexander, first visited Ladakh in 2003 and surveyed the Old Town. At that time, most locals expressed plans to abandon their traditional homes in favour of demolishing them to build modern concrete houses.

The first two houses we restored were Nochung House and Sofi House. Once these restorations were completed, people realised how beautiful the results were, and more families showed interest in preserving their homes. Since 2003, we have restored 40 houses including monasteries, museums and mosques across Leh town and nearby villages."

She explains, "The reason we chose to focus on Leh's Old Town for restoration is because most of the traditional houses are located here. In today’s time, where 90% of Ladakh’s economy is dependent on tourism, it is important to showcase our heritage and cultural identity to tourists.

Beyond tourism, preserving these traditional structures is crucial for future generations of Ladakh, so they can understand and experience how their ancestors lived. This initiative is not just about restoring buildings-it is about safeguarding the culture and heritage of Ladakh."

Traditional Ladakhi houses, built from mud and locally sourced materials, are naturally well-suited to the region’s climate, remaining warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Besides, they have built footpaths with limestone with the proper drainage system.

Discussing the differences between traditional and modern cement houses, she says, "Today, many homes are built with cement, but given that Ladakh remains cold for most of the year, this presents certain challenges. People living in modern cement houses often experience issues like knee pain and backache.

In contrast, our traditional houses, made from mud and locally sourced materials, stay warm in winter and cool in summer. Cement homes require a huge amount of energy to heat, which leads to unnecessary energy waste. While on the other hand, traditional mud houses, need far less energy to warm and are much more environmentally friendly."

Though initially, they faced a lot of problems now many house owners are coming forward to restore their houses in the old town. Earlier, most of the old traditional houses were abandoned by the owners as they moved out to their new houses and rented the old traditional houses to labourers.

Further, Stanzin happily says, "Many people appreciate the initiative to restore traditional houses, though initially, it was challenging to make them understand its value. Now, however, many owners express a desire to return and live in their restored homes, and we receive numerous requests to repair and restore old Ladakhi houses.

Earlier, we had to visit the homes ourselves, encourage the owners to restore them, and explain the importance of preservation. At that time, most families had abandoned their traditional homes and moved to newer ones, often renting the old houses to labourers, leaving them in poor condition. At present, many of the restored houses have since been rented out to artists who have set up their studios here, as well as cafes”.

Explaining about the restoration condition, she says, "There are two conditions for restoration. At first, we fully invested 100 per cent of the cost, but we managed the property for a few years before handing it back to the owner. In the second, we share the investment on a 50-50 basis with the owner.

For families who are financially unable to contribute and monasteries, we cover the entire cost of restoration. While restoring Chamba Lhakhang in Old Town, we discovered a 14th-century wall painting that had sadly been covered in whitewash. We brought some experts from outside Ladakh who had previously worked in Tibet, and they helped restore the paintings.

We have also trained a few locals from Ladakh in the techniques of restoring old artwork. Similarly, at Alchi Tsatsapuri Monastery in the Chanrazik Lhakhang, there were ancient wall paintings of the 13th century that had been damaged over time. The villagers were not aware and used the space to shelter animals, and the paintings were damaged by the marks of their horns. We have restored that as well. Experts were astonished by the damage, as the paintings are of great historical and cultural importance."

Additionally, Stanzin says, "As an NGO, we cannot do much. The local government should prioritize these heritage sites. Every year, we submit proposals to declare the Old Town as a heritage zone, but without such protections, people continue to dismantle these historic houses. I’ve heard that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has regulations stating that areas within 100 meters of the Palace are restricted, and those within 200 meters are prohibited from new construction. If we don’t take action now, it will become even harder to preserve these sites. The irony is that people from outside Ladakh recognise its importance, while we Ladakhis often fail to appreciate and value it. “

She concludes, "One of our key achievements was preventing the dismantling of old houses under the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) Scheme. The government had labelled these traditional homes as 'kuccha houses' and planned to replace them with concrete structures. To make matters worse, they had declared this area a slum, which was disheartening.

A total of 120 houses in Leh Town were on the list for demolition, and unfortunately, seven were demolished before we could intervene. Ultimately, the project, which was worth ₹1 crore, was halted, and the remaining funds were returned."