Festivals in Ladakh

Festivals in Ladakh

Festivals in Ladakh

Festivals in Ladakh are a way of getting together and celebrating the little joys of life. Every occasion in Ladakh is marked by festivities and like any other land in India is also celebrated with happiness and pompous.

Winter is the time for conducting all these festivals. There are several popular festivals which also take place in summers. Ladakh monasteries generally conduct their annual festivals during this time.

Hemis Festival

This is a very popular monastic festival that begins in the month of June. The birth of Guru Padmasambhava is celebrated during this time. The festival lasts for three days and is the dates for it is from 9th to 11th. People clad themselves in masks and perform the story and mission of the guru through dance and drama. During the monkey year festival which comes once in twelve years, the dates generally are 9, 10 and 11. During the celebrations, the four storey tall thangka is hung in the courtyard along with which several others are also put on display for others to worship.

Losar Celebration

Celebrated in the eleventh month of Tibetan calendar, the Losar festival takes place two days before the Tibetan festival.

This festival is a month long affair and has a lot of activities going on like feeding animals, Gods, Dieties, ancestors etc. Ibex sculptures are built to give that auspicious feeling. Kitchens are dotted as it is considered to bring good fate in the time to come.

Ghosts and evil spirits are dealt with. Metho is performed where fire is thrown out chanting mantras and chasing the evil. They make old men and women from the ice that are stored that lasts up to a week. Children have a gala time at this festival. The entire families get together and celebrate.

Just after Losar falls Galdan Namchot, birthday of Tsogkha pa who was the first to begin the Gelukpa School of order. Namcho is the time of the year when people lit their houses and offer worship and prayer to God.

Ladakh Festival

Every year from September 1st to 15th, Ladakh festival is organised in the Leh village. The ceremony starts at Leh where several cultural troupes come in and perform. The procession goes into the Leh market celebrating with gaiety and splendour. There is music, there is dance, there is a good vibe where everyone involves in the colourful celebration. The procession comes to a halt at Polo ground.

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