Padum

Padum
Padam
View of Padum town from the southwest
View of Padum town from the southwest
Padum is located in Ladakh
Padum
Padum
Location in Ladakh, India
Coordinates: 33°27′50″N 76°52′43″E / 33.46389°N 76.87861°E / 33.46389; 76.87861
Country India
Union TerritoryLadakh
DistrictKargil
TehsilZanskar
Government
 • TypeAutonomous Hill Development Council
 • BodyLAHDC, Kargil
Elevation
3,669 m (12,037 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total1,550
Languages
 • OfficialLadakhi, Hindi, Tibetan
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationLA 01 XXXX
Websitehttp://www.kargil.nic.in/

Padum (also known as Padam) is the main town and the administrative centre of the Zanskar tehsil in Kargil district, Ladakh, India. Named after the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava, it was historically one of the two main capitals of the Zanskar Kingdom, the other being Zangla. It is 235 km (146 mi) via the link road from Kargil city (National Highway No. 1D). The new Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road (under construction) connects Padum directly to Leh in the east and to Darcha in Himachal Pradesh.