Hemis Festival of Ladakh

Hemis Festival

The courtyard of Hemis Gompa (monastery), the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, is the stage for this festival, which celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, revered as a reincarnation of Buddha. The colourful two-day pageant falls on the 10th day (Tse-Chu) of the Tibetan lunar month.

raised dais with a richly cushioned seat is erected in the courtyard, and a small, finely painted Tibetan table is placed here. Ceremonial items - cups full of holy water, uncooked rice, tormas made of dough and butter, incense sticks - are placed on the table. Traditional music is played, with four pairs of cymbals, pan drums, small trumpets and large wind instruments.

Locals dress up in their finest traditional garb for the occasion. Lamas (monks) perform splendid masked dances and sacred plays to the accompaniment of cymbals, drums and long horns. The head lama presides over the function.

Every 12 years, in the Tibetan Year of the Monkey, the two-storey high Thanka depicting Padmasambhava, richly embroidered with pearls and semi-precious stones, is displayed. The last display was in 2004. A colourful fair, displaying some beautiful handicrafts, is the special highlight of the festival.