Festivals in Ladakh are celebrated as the occasions for
merry-making. These festivals provide people with ample opportunities to
interact with each other, form new ties and renew the old ones.
Many
of the annual festivals of the Gompas take place in winter, which is a
relatively idle time for majority of the people. These take the form of
dance-dramas in the gompa courtyards. Lamas, attired in colourful robes and
wearing masks, perform mimes symbolising various aspects of the religion
such as the progress of the individual soul and its purification or the
triumph of good over evil. Local people flock from near and far to these
events and the spiritual benefits they get are no doubt heightened by their
enjoyment of the party atmosphere
Hemis
Festival Hemis is the biggest and most famous of the monastic
festivals.
Dosmoche Festival Dosmoche,
the festival of the scapegoat, is celebrated with fervor at Leh. Falling in
the second half of February, Dosmoche is one of two New Year festivals, the
other being Losar. At Dosmoche, a great wooden mast decorated with streamers
and religious emblems is et up outside Leh. 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. Spituk, stok, thikse,
chemrey and Matho all have their festivals in winter, between November and
March. Likir and Deskit (Nubra )time their festivals to coincide with
Dosmoche.
Losar Losar -this spectacular
festival celebrates the Ladakhi/Tibetan new year. Festivities last for 2
weeks during December or January,depending on the Lunar calander . All
Ladakhi Buddhists celebrate it by making offerings to the gods, both in
gompas and in their domestic shrines. The festival is marked with ancient
rituals,the stage fights between good & evil, chanting and passing
through the crowds with fire torches. The dance of the Ibex deer and the
dramatic battles between the King & his ministers add to the joyous
atmosphere. Full of music,dancing and merry-making ! This important festival
changes location & dates every year.
Sindhu
Darshan Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a
celebration of river Sindhu, also known as the Indus. People travel for a
Darshan and Puja of the River Sindhu (Indus) which originates from the
Mansarovar in Tibet. The Festival aims at projecting the Sindhu river as a
symbol of multi-dimensional cultural identity, communal harmony and peaceful
co-existence in India. Whilst promoting tourism in this area, this festival
is also a symbolic salute to the brave soldiers of India who have valiantly
fought the odds at Siachen, Kargil and other places.
It is also an
opportunity for people from around the country and overseas to visit the
beautiful regions of Leh and Ladakh. Celebrated first time in the year 1997,
the festival is organised annually at Leh in the month of May-June by the
Government of Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the Ministry of tourism
and culture, Government of India. The festival is kaleidoscope of Indian
culture and showcases an exciting array of performing arts being brought
together at an exciting place. As part of the celebrations, various groups
from different states in India bring water from the other mighty rivers in
the country in earthen pots and immerse these pots in the Sindhu river,
thereby mingling the river water with other waters of the land.
Ladakh
Harvest Festival The festival usually starts from 1st september and
lasts till sepftember 15th. It is a colourful celebration of the
rich,cultural diversity of Ladakh's people. The weeks long festivities are
held all over the region. Music, theatre, polo, archery,& wedding
ceremonies,are performed daily along with mask and folk dances,with the
final carnival parade passing through the streets of Leh.
Ladakh
Festival Ladakh Festival The blend of various cultures of Central
Asian, Tibetan, Northern India are found in Ladakh.The duration of Ladakh
festival is of 15 days i.e From the 1st to the 15th of September.Various
sports such as polo and archery are conducted. Folk dances and songs, its
age-old social And cultural ceremonies, its art and handicrafts, all come
alive in a colorful kaleidoscope.
Tak -Tok
Festival Tak-Tok festival is celebrated at cave Gompa of Tak- Tok .
It is among the major festivals of Ladakh. Celebrated in summer, it is yet
another tourist attraction. The festival is celebrated with fanfare and
locals from far-flung areas storm the place on the occasion.
Calendar
of events - Fairs & Festivals in Ladakh
| Name of the Festivals |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
| Hemis Tse-chu |
June 17, 18 |
July 6, 7 |
June 25, 26 |
July 12, 13 |
| Yuru Kab-gyat(Lamayuru) |
June 23, 24 |
July 12, 13 |
July 2, 3 |
July 20, 21 |
| Phyang Tse-dup |
Aug. 7, 8 |
July 27, 28 |
July 16, 17 |
Aug. 3, 4 |
| Thiksey Gu-stor |
Nov. 18, 19 |
Nov. 8, 9 |
Oct. 28, 29 |
Nov. 15, 16 |
| Losar(Ladakhi New Year) |
Jan. 1, 2006 |
Dec. 21 |
Dec. 10 |
Dec. 28 |
| Buddha Purnima |
May 23 |
June 11 |
May 31 |
June 18 |
| Tak-Thok Tse-Chu |
Aug. 15, 16 |
Aug. 4, 5 |
July 24, 25 |
Aug. 11, 12 |
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