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FAIRS
& FESTIVALS
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
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.
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