Padum

Padum lies in the central valley of Zanskar, where the Stod and Tsarap rivers meet to form the Zanskar River. High mountains enclose the valley, and monasteries rise above the settlements, including Karsha across the Stod. Padum was a royal centre in a Buddhist country whose villages and religious houses maintained close ties with Ladakh.

Between the tenth and fifteenth centuries, Zanskar was governed by related royal houses, with centres including Padum and Zangla. Although later drawn into the politics of Ladakh, its local rulers and monasteries retained their importance. In 1822 a coalition from Kullu, Lahaul and Kinnaur invaded Zanskar, plundering the country and destroying the royal palace at Padum. The valley's monasteries continued to mark the landscape around the town.