Mostly people in Ladakh are the followers of Buddhism and Ladakh has been deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, In the forms of Mahayana and Vajrayana of Buddhism, Buddha is worshipped here as a deity who attained Nirvana (freedom from the cycle of birth and death). Buddha is also worshipped in the Gompas in Ladakh. His Holiness Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhist community is believed to be the Living Buddha by his followers and devotees. Due his resistance to the Chinese occupation Tibet, the Dalai Lama became an icon of political as well as spiritual leadership for the Tibetans. The Dalai Lama left Tibet and came to India in March, 1959. Ever since, he has led an international campaign against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Along with preaching Buddhist philosophy and participating in spiritual and ethical discussions, he approached United Nations and urged the world leaders to help him in attaining independence for Tibet. However, in 1988, he made a major compromise in the form of 'Strasbourg Proposal', where he agreed upon genuine autonomy for Tibet, if not independence. Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his patient peaceful struggle for Tibet.
You can find common Buddhist terms everywhere in Ladakh. Some common terms of Buddhism are :