Gyalmo Deskit Wangmo (Rani Parvati Devi), the Queen of Ladakh, passed away on November 5 at the Royal Palace in Stok, Leh, at the age of 90. Her cremation ceremony, held on November 10 at Stok, was conducted with full state honors.

The funeral procession was attended by prominent figures, including Ravi Thakur, Member of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, royal family members, and citizens from Leh and Lahaul-Spiti.

Born on May 1, 1934, at Khangsar Palace in Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, Gyalmo Deskit Wangmo belonged to the esteemed Royal House of Khangsar. In 1950, she married Kunzang Namgyal, the King of Ladakh, marking the beginning of her lifelong connection with Ladakh’s royal heritage.

Gyalmo Deskit Wangmo made history in 1977 when she became the first woman from Ladakh to be elected as a Member of Parliament, representing the region in the 6th Lok Sabha until 1980. Her election as the only woman MP from Ladakh remains a landmark achievement, breaking barriers in a male-dominated political landscape.

Beyond her political career, she was deeply committed to social welfare and cultural preservation. She served as the Convener of the Welfare Extension Project from 1958, a social initiative focused on uplifting Ladakh's communities. Additionally, she played a key role in bringing the Save the Children Fund to Ladakh, ensuring support for the region's most vulnerable populations. She was also a founding member of the Namgyal Institute of Research on Ladakhi Art and Culture (NIRLAC), an organization dedicated to preserving Ladakh’s unique cultural heritage.

Her contributions to Ladakh's development and her enduring legacy as a philanthropist and advocate for women's rights will be remembered for generations.