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FAIRS & FESTIVALS OF LEH/LADAKH

The religious philosophy of Budhism, however profound and subtle doesn't preclude an immense joie-de-vivre among its Ladakhi adhe-rents , and even solemn religious enactment's are made occasion for joyous celebrations. Many of the annual festivals of the gompas take places in winter, a relatively idle time for the majority of the people. They take the form of dance-dramas in the gompa countyards. Lamas , robed in colourful garments and wearing often startlingly frightful masks, performs mimes representing various aspects of religion such as the progress of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good over evil.

HEMIS FESTIVAL OF LADAKH

The biggest and most famous of the monastic festivals, frequented by tourists and local alike, is that of Hemis, which falls in late June or the first half of July, and is dedicated to Padmasambhava. Every 12 years, the gompa's greatest treasure, a huge thangka- a religious icon painted or embroidered on cloth is retually exhibited. The next unveiling is due to take place in A.D. 2004.



MATHO FESTIVAL

Matho celebrates two significant festivals during the winter months; Nagrang festival of two day ( usually in February at the Tibetan new year) and Nispetsergyat of one day ( usually in March). Both these festivals are accompanied by masket dances.

THIKSEY FESTIVAL

Thiksey gustor ( festival) held from 17th to 19th day of the 12th month. The thiksey festival main attraction is the trade fair held at the gompa's base at the same time. Villagers from all over Ladakh gather to eat, play cards, drink, barter trade items and generally socialize in a sprawling area below the gompa. In addition, all sorts of tea stalls, sweet sellers and refreshment stands are located in this area and on the footpath leading up to the gompa.


SHEY FESTIVAL

In the month of summer two festivals are celebrated at Shey. The Metukba festival comes in July & lasts for one day and consists of prayers for the well being of all life on earth. The Shey Shublas festival comes during August, the Shey oracle, who is a Layman from the shey area, stays at the Tuba gompa ( a short distance from Shey gompa) where he engages in a two to three days prayer in order to be possessed and become an oracle.


LEH ANNUAL TOURIST FESTIVAL

The festival held during summers in August last for one week with different events scheduled for each day, begins with a colourful procession down the main street of Leh. The procession includes musicians, archers and masked figures walking on stilts over 5 feet high. While the archers practice, musicians play drums and horns and groups of women, dressed in the traditional costumes of Ladakh and Baltistan, sit on the side lines to observe the contest.

Spituk, Stok, chemrey and all have their festivals in winter, between November and March. Likir and Deskit ( Nubra) time their festivals to coincide with Dosmoche, the festival of the Scapegoat, which is also celebrated with favour at Leh. Falling in th esecond half of February, Dosmoche is one of two New year Festivals, the other being Losar. At the appointed time, offerings of storma, ritual figures moulded out of dough, are brought out and ceremonially cast away into the desert, or burnt, These scapegoats carry away with them the evil spirits of the old year, and thus the town is cleansed and made ready to welcome the new year.

Losar Falls about the time of the winter solstice, any time between 8th and 30th December. All Ladakhi Buddhists celebrate it by making offering to the Gods, both in gompas and in their domestic shrines. The smaller but much older Bying -ma-pa and Saskya-pa monastic sects are represented respectively by Tak-thok and Matho gompas. Tak Thok, a the foot of Chang-la , incorporates one of the many caves in the Himalaya where the Indian Buddhist apostle padama -sambhava is said to have rested and meditated on his journey to Tibet. Matho Gompa has a slightly rundown structure, but a vibrant religious community. It is famous for its festival of the oracles which takes place early in the year, usually in the first half of March.