Kashmir Impulse Desk
Leh, Aug 21
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor wrapped up his maiden official visit to Ladakh on Friday, visiting the historic Thiksey Monastery after holding talks with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar.
Gor arrived in Leh on Thursday as part of his first official tour of the high-altitude frontier region, making the visit notable as the first by a serving US envoy to Ladakh in recent years.
At Thiksey, about 19 km from Leh, Gor toured the 15th-century Gelug monastery, one of the most prominent Buddhist sites in central Ladakh.
The monastery, the largest monastic complex in central Ladakh, is known for its architectural resemblance to Tibet’s Potala Palace.
During his visit, Gor saw the historic complex’s stupas, rare scroll paintings known as thangkas and its 48-foot statue of Maitreya Buddha, installed in 1980.
The Ladakh visit followed Gor’s engagements in Srinagar on Wednesday, where he met Abdullah.
The US Embassy in India said Gor had concluded his visit to Srinagar and Leh, describing the trip as highlighting the growing India-U.S. partnership through dialogue and cultural engagement.
“In Srinagar, Ambassador Gor met Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and later visited Leh to experience Ladakh’s culture and traditions,” the embassy said in a post on X.
The visit comes amid continued U.S.-India engagement across India’s northern frontier, with Gor using the trip to combine political dialogue with exposure to the region’s cultural traditions.
