About Ladakh Art Palace
An aura of mystique, the legends of the past flashes right before our eyes, this is the feeling you get when you enter Ladakh Art Palace.
Located right in middle of the Leh main market, it displays the articulate style of the ancient cultures and carries the heritage of the past, unaltered and unharmed.
The market which itself has a few leafs in the history books as a stocking place during the silk trade, and it rests in the shadow of the majestic Leh Palace.
Ladakh Art Palace displays a plethora of ornaments which are even a century old. It specializes in carpets, handicrafts, shawls, semi-precious stones just to name a few.
When you enter the shop you are bound to be overwhelmed by sight of masks and dresses hanging all around the shop as if they are about to sprung back to life and do the ritualistic dances.
You will also notice a collection of boxes used by the great emperors of the mighty kingdom Tibet. Some of them are etched with images of a dragon which somehow tells us a story of the past in which dragons and magic existed.
One of the main highlight of the shop is the traditional Ladakhi bridal gear;”Perak”. It is believed that as the bride leaves her home, the Perak is supposed to protect the bride as she is going to enter her new home. The shape of the Perak is such that, it resembles a snake and it’s worn over the head, symbolizing that the bride is under the snake’s protection. It is the quintessential ornament that defines the beauty of a Ladakhi bride and also ‘Gau’ which is a necklace.
One will definitely get a vivid picture of the traditional Ladakhi and Tibetan dressing and grooming which is very peculiar to this Himalayan region, not found anywhere else.
Ladakh Art Palace is definitely a special place for the travelers who will find myriad of souvenirs ranging from prayer stones to the ubiquitous prayer wheel.
