Alchi

Alchi
Alchi
Village
	The Indus river valley at Alchi
	Alchi Location in Ladakh, India Alchi Alchi (India)
	Coordinates: 34°14′00″N 77°09′45″E / 34.2334°N 77.1625°E
Country	India
Union Territory	Ladakh
District	Leh
Tehsil	Likir
Population (2011)
• Total	932
Languages
• Official	Hindi, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Census code	953

Alchi is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India.^[2] It is located in the Likir tehsil, on the banks of the Indus River 70km (43.49miles) downstream from the capital Leh. Unlike the other gompas in Ladakh, Alchi is situated on lowland, not on a hilltop.^[3]

The Alchi Monastery or Alchi Gompa lies about 65 km (40.3miles) from Leh on the banks of the Indus River.^[4]

History

The village is famous for the existence of one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh (a national heritage) Alchi Monastery, mainly known for its magnificent and well-preserved 11th- or 12th-century wall paintings, all in an Indo-Himalayan style.^[5] The monastery houses thousands of rare and unique sculptures and paintings back to 11th century Western Tibet.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census of India, Alchi has 145 households. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 72.51%.^[6]

Demographics (2011 Census)^[6]
	Total	Male	Female
Population	932	575	357
Children aged below 6 years	88	46	42
Scheduled caste	0	0	0
Scheduled tribe	712	355	357
Literates	612	422	190
Workers (all)	577	420	157
Main workers (total)	471	400	71
Main workers: Cultivators	118	99	19
Main workers: Agricultural labourers	18	4	14
Main workers: Household industry workers	1	0	1
Main workers: Other	334	297	37
Marginal workers (total)	106	20	86
Marginal workers: Cultivators	64	2	62
Marginal workers: Agricultural labourers	36	12	24
Marginal workers: Household industry workers	0	0	0
Marginal workers: Others	6	6	0
Non-workers	355	155	200

Alchi village, Ladakh
Chortens
Chortens
Image of Tara (Buddhism) in Ladakh
Palace of Sonam-Dorje

Alchi is a small village with several tourist homestays, most offering modern conveniences for overnight stays, The best time to visit is from June to September.

References

^ "Villages | District Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh | India".
^ "Blockwise Village Amenity Directory" (PDF). Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
^ Schettler, Margaret & Rolf. (1981) Kashmir, Ladakh & Zanskar. Lonely Planet, South Yarra, Vic., Australia, p. 104.
^ "Alchi Monastery". Incredible India.
^ Rizvi (1996), p. 60.
^ ^a ^b "Leh district census". 2011 Census of India. Directorate of Census Operations. Retrieved 23 July 2015.

External links

Alchi monastery
April 2010 Smithsonian Magazine Article Archived 30 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine

[1] "Villages | District Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh | India".

[2] "Blockwise Village Amenity Directory" (PDF). Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2015.

[3] Schettler, Margaret & Rolf. (1981) Kashmir, Ladakh & Zanskar. Lonely Planet, South Yarra, Vic., Australia, p. 104.

[4] "Alchi Monastery". Incredible India.

[5] Rizvi (1996), p. 60.

[census_2011-6] "Leh district census". 2011 Census of India. Directorate of Census Operations. Retrieved 23 July 2015.

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