In Ladakh every occasion
marriage, birth, harvesting,
commemoration of head Lamas
founding of the monastery,
Losar (new year) and flowering
is marked by feasting, dancing
and the singing of folksongs
that forms a part of its living
heritage. Most of the festivals
are held in winter but some
popular festival take place in
summer too. The monastic
festivals are the heart of all
the festivals. They are
performed by Monks wearing
colorful silk garments and
different facial
mask.
Hemis
Festival:
Hemis festival is one of the
most famous monastic festivals
in June to commemorate birth of
Guru Padmasambhava, the founder
of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet.
The sacred dance drama of the
life and mission is performed
wearing facial masks and
colorful brocades robes. The
three-day festival takes place
from 9th to 11th. Especially
the monkey year festival, which
comes in a cycle of 12 years.
During it the four-storey
thanka of Guru Padma Sambhava
is hung in the courtyard and
other precious thankas are also
exhibited.
Thiksey, Karsha and
Spituk
Gustor:
Gustors take place at Thiksey,
Spituk and Karsha in different
months of the year. The
festival takes place for two
days. The celebration is to
mark the victory over evils.
The mask worn by the dancers
represent the Guardians,
Protectors and the Gods and
Goddesses. The festival ends
with the symbolic assassination
of evils and burning of the
effigy of evils.
Dosmochey:
Dosmochey is celebrated in Leh
(Leh Palace), Liker (Lower
Ladakh) and Deskit (Nubra
valley) monasteries in
February. The most famous among
all is Leh Dosmochey, which is
celebrated for two days in the
courtyards of the Leh palace.
The monks from different
monasteries perform the Chams
every year turn by turn. The
festival takes place in the end
and starting of the Tibetan New
Year. The monks of Takthok
monastery prepares the offering
with Thread crosses which binds
all the evil, hungry ghosts and
guard against natural disaster
in the coming year. On the
second day of the festival, the
offerings are taken out of the
town in a procession and burn
it while people whistle to
chase away the evil
spirits.
Matho
Nagrang:
Matho Nagrang is celebrated on
the 15th day of the 1st month
of Tibetan calander, at Matho
monastery, the only monastery
of the Sakya School of Tibetan
Buddhism. During these two days
of festival mask dances are
performed by monks of the
monastery wearing colorful silk
brocaded robes and mask in
different forms of God and
Goddesses. The festival is
famous because of appearance of
the two oracles during the
festival after full month
meditation in complete
isolation. The two oracles
appear in the courtyard
accompanying mask dancers and
predict future events and
people from far and away come
to seek advice to perform
ritual to tackle
with.
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