The
beautiful city of Leh and Ladakh is famous for its beautiful sights and scenic
sights.A famous place in the entire world for its height and for the tranquility
this place offers.A real cool place for the tourists to enjoy and learn about
this place.This place is very famous for its adventure and it has a lot to do
with sports tourism too.
Along with all these, this city of Ladakh has some outstanding festivals which
happen during different parts of the year and is witnessed by one and all from
the city and people from outside places too.Festivals are a part of each and
every places and they form an important part of the culture and tradition of
that place.
The major festivals of this place are the ones that happen in the Monastries
during different parts of the year.It is said that the Ladakhis celebrate each
festival with a lot of pomp and show.During the festivals, a majority of the
people of this place are idle and these festivals are attended by one and all.
The festivals of the gompas ie.the monastries are always in the form of dance
and dramas.The lamas all robed in multicolour garments and various types of
masks perform in front of the crowd and these performances represent the various
aspects of the religions like 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.People
make a lot of friends during these festivals and the place of festival is always
hustling and bustling.
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 ritually exhibited. The next unveiling is
due to take place in A.D. 2004.
Other monasteries which have summer festivals are Lamayuru (also early July),
Phiyang (late July or early August), Tak-thok (about ten days afer Phiyang)
and Karsha in Zanskar (11 days after Phiyang). Like Hemis, the Phiyang festival
too involves the exhibition of gigantic thangka, though here it is done every
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, the festival of the scapegoat, wrated
with fervour 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 done 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.
Losar
falls about the time of the winter solstice, any time between 8th and 30th December.
All Ladakhi Buddhists celebrate it by making offerings to the gods, both in
gompas and in their domestic shrines.
A major polo tournament called the "Ladakh Festival Cup" is also held
as part of the festival in which polo teams from different parts of the region
participate. Visitors to this city during this period will have the opportunity
of witnessing this ancient sport of the western Himalayas being played in its
original, wild style with fewer rules. Yet another interesting programme is
the staging of a typical Central Asian trade mart in Leh Bazaar, complete with
caravans laden with traders’ goods, while skilled artists dressed in period-costumes
play the role of merchants engaged in trading, bartering and associated activities.
The festivals of any place are always close to the heart of the people of
that place.These festivals are always enjoyed and celebrated by the people
of this place with a great pomp and gaiety.People of this place are used to
a life style that is very care free and easy going.
Ladakh Fairs & Festivals, Ladakh Tourism Inquiry / Reservation Form
The
beautiful city of Leh and Ladakh is famous for its beautiful sights and scenic
sights.A famous place in the entire world for its height and for the tranquility
this place offers.A real cool place for the tourists to enjoy and learn about
this place.This place is very famous for its adventure and it has a lot to do
with sports tourism too.
is
due to take place in A.D. 2004. 
Losar
falls about the time of the winter solstice, any time between 8th and 30th December.
All Ladakhi Buddhists celebrate it by making offerings to the gods, both in
gompas and in their domestic shrines. 