Leh district

District of Ladakh, administered by India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leh district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir-region.^[1] Ladakh is an Indian-administered union territory. With an area of 45,110 km². It is bounded on the north by Gilgit-Baltistan's Kharmang and Ghanche districts and Xinjiang's Kashgar Prefecture and Hotan Prefecture, to which it connects via the historic Karakoram Pass. Aksai Chin and Tibet are to the east, Kargil district to the west, and Lahul and Spiti to the south. The district headquarters is in Leh. It lies between 32 and 36 degree north latitude and 75 to 80 degree east longitude.

Administering country

India

Established1 July 1979

HeadquartersLeh

TimezoneUTC+05:30 (IST)

Quick facts Administering country, Union Territory ...

Leh district
District of Ladakh administered by India^[1]
View of Leh Town
Interactive map of Leh district
Coordinates (Leh): 33°38′N 77°46′E
Administering country	India
Union Territory	Ladakh
Headquarters	Leh
Established	1 July 1979
Headquarters	Leh
Tehsils	Leh, Basgo, Chushot, Gia and Kharu
Government
• Deputy Commissioner	Sh. Romil Singh Donk IAS
• Chief Executive Councillor	post vacant since {1st november}
• Lok Sabha Constituency	Ladakh
• MP	Mohmad Haneefa^[2]
Area
• Total	12,000 km² (4,600 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	133,487
• Density	11/km² (29/sq mi)
• Urban	45,671
Demographics
• Literacy	77.2%
• Sex ratio	690 ♀/ 1000 ♂
Languages
• Official	Bhoti Purgi Urdu Hindi English^[3]
• Regional	Ladakhi, Balti, Brokstat, Changthang, Tibetan
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	JK 10 (till 2019) LA-02
Website	leh.nic.in

History

Leh has historically served as the administrative centre of Ladakh. Until 1 July 1979, the entire Ladakh region was administered from Leh. On that date, Ladakh was divided into two administrative districts—Leh and Kargil—with Leh continuing to serve as the administrative headquarters of Leh district. Religious differences between Buddhist and Muslim communities had become a source of grievance by the late 20th century and were among the factors associated with the division of Ladakh into the two districts.^[4]

In 2017, Leh district was declared a tobacco-free zone. The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, through the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), began working toward this designation earlier that year, and Leh was officially declared tobacco-free in August 2017. Rehana Kousar, then in charge of NTCP Kashmir, stated that the initiative involved civil society organisations, religious groups, and women's groups. She particularly highlighted the participation of women in the anti-tobacco campaign as a "major success."^[5]

A major administrative change took place in 2019. In August, the Parliament of India passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, which provided for the creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh. The new Union Territory came into existence on 31 October 2019, and Leh became its administrative capital as well as one of its two original districts, alongside Kargil.^[6]

Following the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019, the territory claimed as part of Leh district de jure included Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, and the Tribal Territory, areas that are currently administered by Pakistan. The order also defined the territory of Leh and Ladakh, excluding the then-existing territory of Kargil district.^[7]

The administrative structure of Ladakh changed again in 2026. On 27 April 2026, five new districts were formally notified, bringing the total number of districts in the Union Territory to seven.^[8]^[9] As part of this reorganisation, the boundaries and administrative structure of Leh district were altered. The new districts include the Buddhist-majority districts of Sham, Changthang, Nubra, Leh, and Zanskar, alongside the Muslim-majority districts of Kargil and Drass. Leh district itself contains 44 revenue villages according to the district administration.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Administration

The only sub-division is Kharu.^[13] The tehsils are Leh, Basgo, Chushot, Gia and Kharu.^[14]

The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh (LAHDC Leh) is the Autonomous District Council that administers the Leh district.^[15]

More information Sub–divisions, Blocks and Villages in Leh district, Current district ...

Sub–divisions, Blocks and Villages in Leh district^[12]^[16]
Current district	Sub-Division	Tehsil	Blocks	Villages
Leh district	Kharu	Chushot	Chushot	Chushot Yokma, Chushot Gongma, Stakna, Chushot Shamma, Matho, Stok
		Leh	Leh	Gompa Gangless, Sankar Yourtung, Leh Ladakh, Skara, Choglamsar, Saboo, Thiksey, Nang, Rambirpur, Shey, Phyang, Spituk, Phey, Taru, Umla, Rumbak, Sku Marka, Chiling Sumda, Lingshed, Youlchung
		Kharu	Kharu	Igoo, Langkor, Shara, Sharnos, Phuktsay, Sakti, Kharu, Chemday, Martselang, Hemis, Shang, Changa
		Gia	Gia	Upshi, Miru, Gia
		Basgo	Basgo	Basgo, Ney, Nimoo
Total	1	5	5	44

Demographics

More information Religion (and population), Sex Ratio ...

Sex Ratio in Leh District in 2011 Census.^[17]
(no. females per 1,000 males)
Religion (and population)			Sex Ratio
Buddhist (pop 88,635)			1,014
Hindu (pop 22,882)			942
Muslim (pop 19,057)			816
Other (pop 2,913)			165
Total (pop 133,487)			690

According to the 2011 census Leh district had a population of 133,487,^[18] roughly equal to the nation of Saint Lucia.^[19] This gives it a ranking of 609th in India (out of a total of 640).^{[citation needed]} The district has a population density of 3 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.8/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 13.87% (it was 30.15% for 1991–2001).^{[citation needed]} Leh has a sex ratio of 690 females for every 1000 males (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 77.2%.^{[citation needed]}

Religion

More information Religion, Percent(%) ...

Religion in Leh district (2011)^[17]
Religion			Percent(%)
Buddhism			66.40%
Hinduism			17.14%
Islam			14.28%
Sikhism			0.82%
Other or not stated			1.36%

More information Block, Buddhist ...

Block	Buddhist	Muslim	Other
Leh	65.54	12.06	22.40
Nubra	47.43	33	19.57
Khalsi	96.01	1.89	2.10

More information % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census., Hindu ...

Leh district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.^[17]
	Hindu	Muslim	Christian	Sikh	Buddhist	Jain	Other	Not stated	Total
Total	22,882	19,057	658	1,092	88,635	103	54	1,006	133,487
Total	17.14%	14.28%	0.49%	0.82%	66.40%	0.08%	0.04%	0.75%	100.00%

Male	21,958	10,493	469	1,018	44,019	49	29	936	78,971
Female	924	8,564	189	74	44,616	54	25	70	54,516
Gender ratio (% female)	4.0%	44.9%	28.7%	6.8%	50.3%	52.4%	46.3%	7.0%	40.8%
Sex ratio (no. females per 1,000 males)	42	816	403	73	1,014	–	–	75	690

Urban	14,542	5,169	358	927	24,023	24	53	575	45,671
Rural	8,340	13,888	300	165	64,612	79	1	431	87,816
% Urban	63.6%	27.1%	54.4%	84.9%	27.1%	23.3%	98.1%	57.2%	34.2%

Languages

Languages of Leh district (2011)^[20]

Ladakhi (70.2%)
Hindi (12.8%)
Balti (3.95%)
Tibetan (3.46%)
Punjabi (1.02%)
Marathi (1.01%)
Nepali (1.01%)
Others (6.58%)

Ladakhi is the most spoken language, and Hindi/Urdu is the second-largest language, mainly spoken in Leh. Balti is found in Nubra near the boundary with Gilgit-Baltistan. Tibetan, Punjabi, Marathi and Nepali are all mainly spoken in Leh. Urdu and English are widely understood in Leh.^[4]

Politics

Parliamentary Constituency

The district falls under Ladakh (Lok Sabha constituency). The present Member of Parliament (MP) of Ladakh is Mohmad Haneefa (independent candidate).

Autonomous Hill Council

Leh District is administered by an elected body known as the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. The LAHDC was established in 1995.^[21]

The latest elections were held in October 2020. The BJP secured 15 seats while the INC won 9 and the Independents won 2.

Transportation

Road

Leh is connected to the rest of India by two high-altitude roads both of which are subject to landslides and neither of which are passable in winter when covered by deep snows. The National Highway 1D from Srinagar via Kargil is generally open longer. The Leh-Manali Highway can be troublesome due to very high passes and plateaus, and the lower but landslide-prone Rohtang Pass near Manali. The third road axis is under construction.

National Highway 1

The overland approach to Ladakh from the Kashmir valley via the 434-km. National Highway 1 typically remains open for traffic from June to October/November. The most dramatic part of this road journey is the ascent up the 3,505 m (11,500 ft.) high Zoji-la, a tortuous pass in the Great Himalayan Wall. The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil. Taxis (cars and jeeps) are also available at Srinagar for the journey.

National Highway 3 or Leh-Manali Highway

Since 1989, the 473-km Leh-Manali Highway has been serving as the second land approach to Ladakh. Open for traffic from June to late October, this high road traverses the upland desert plateaux of Rupsho whose altitude ranges from 3,660 m to 4,570 m. There are a number of high passes en route among which the highest one, known as Tanglang La, is sometimes (but incorrectly) claimed to be the world's second-highest motorable pass at an altitude of 5,325 m. (17,469 feet).^[22]

Nimmu–Padam–Darcha road

This is the third road axis to Leh. It is currently under construction.

Air

Leh's Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport has flights to Delhi at least daily on Air India which also provides twice-weekly services to Jammu and a weekly flight to Srinagar. Passengers connect in Delhi for other destinations. Go First operates Delhi to Leh daily flights during peak time.

Rail

There is no railway service currently in Ladakh, however, 2 railway routes are proposed- the Bhanupli–Leh line and Srinagar–Kargil–Leh line.^[23]

Gallery

Indus River Valley in Thiksey
Indus Valley in Leh
Khardung La pass in Ladakh Range
Rock formations along Leh-Manali Highway
Mountain peaks around Leh
Tsomoriri lake
Pangong lake
Leh district flower fields and mountains

References

[1]
The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) through (e), reflecting due weight in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (h) through (i) below, "held" is also considered politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (j) below).
(a) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 15 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories.";
(b) Pletcher, Kenneth, Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 16 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state.";
(c) "Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partlv by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
(d) Osmańczyk, Edmund Jan (2003), Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1191–, ISBN 978-0-415-93922-5 Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
(e) Talbot, Ian (2016), A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas, Yale University Press, pp. 28–29, ISBN 978-0-300-19694-8 Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";
(f) Skutsch, Carl (2015) [2007], "China: Border War with India, 1962", in Ciment, James (ed.), Encyclopedia of Conflicts Since World War II (2nd ed.), London and New York: Routledge, p. 573, ISBN 978-0-7656-8005-1, The situation between the two nations was complicated by the 1957–1959 uprising by Tibetans against Chinese rule. Refugees poured across the Indian border, and the Indian public was outraged. Any compromise with China on the border issue became impossible. Similarly, China was offended that India had given political asylum to the Dalai Lama when he fled across the border in March 1959. In late 1959, there were shots fired between border patrols operating along both the ill-defined McMahon Line and in the Aksai Chin.
(g) Clary, Christopher, The Difficult Politics of Peace: Rivalry in Modern South Asia, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, p. 109, ISBN 9780197638408, Territorial Dispute: The situation along the Sino-Indian frontier continued to worsen. In late July (1959), an Indian reconnaissance patrol was blocked, "apprehended," and eventually expelled after three weeks in custody at the hands of a larger Chinese force near Khurnak Fort in Aksai Chin. ... Circumstances worsened further in October 1959, when a major class at Kongka Pass in eastern Ladakh led to nine dead and ten captured Indian border personnel, making it by far the most serious Sino-Indian class since India's independence.
(h) Bose, Sumantra (2009), Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, Harvard University Press, pp. 294, 291, 293, ISBN 978-0-674-02855-5 Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million.), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control."
(i) Fisher, Michael H. (2018), An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge University Press, p. 166, ISBN 978-1-107-11162-2 Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir.";
(j) Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, p. 10, ISBN 978-1-84904-621-3 Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."
[2]
"Lok Sabha Members". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
[3]
"The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
[4]
"Muslim Precedence Politics - How it operates in Ladakh". Kashmir Sentinel. August 2002. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008.
[5]
"Leh Declared Tobacco-Free". The Tribune India. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
[6]
"Article 370 revoked Updates: Jammu & Kashmir is now a Union Territory, Lok Sabha passes bifurcation bill". Business Today. 6 August 2019.
[7]
"J&K Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019 -- [Territory of Leh district shall constitute, Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, Tribal territory & 'Leh & Ladakh' except present territory of Kargil]". 2 November 2019.
[8]
Historic milestone for Ladakh: Five new districts notified in Ladakh; taking total districts to seven, 27 Apr 2026.
[9]
"Ladakh gets five new districts including Leh reorganisation". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
[10]
"Villages". District Leh - Ladakh.
[11]
Shrinking of Muslim-Majority Districts, Questions Over Wildlife: What the Redrawing of Ladakh's Administrative Boundaries Means, The Wire, 1 May 2026.
[12]
"Administration of the Union territory of Ladakh" (PDF). Ladakh Gazette.
[13]
"Subdivisions & Blocks". District Leh - Ladakh.
[14]
"Tehsil". District Leh - Ladakh.
[15]
"Ladakh Autonomous Hill development Council act 1997" (PDF). Retrieved 26 January 2021.
[16]
"The Union Territory of Ladakh (Redefinition of Tehsils) Order, 2026" (PDF). Ladakh Gazette. 13 July 2026.
[17]
C-1 Population By Religious Community – Jammu & Kashmir (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
[18]
"Leh district census data 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 20 February 2019.
[19]
US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2011. Saint Lucia 161,557 July 2011 est.
[20]
C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Jammu & Kashmir (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
[21]
"Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh". Leh. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
[22]
See the article on Khardung La for a discussion of the world's highest motorable passes.
[23]
"Himachal CM meets Union railway minister, seeks 100% Centre funding for Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Leh rail line". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 November 2020.

Leh district

History

Administration

Demographics

Religion

Languages

Politics

Parliamentary Constituency

Autonomous Hill Council

Transportation

Road

Air

Rail

Gallery

See also

References

External links

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