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Many of the annual festivals of the
Ladakh gompas take place in winter. They take the form of dance-dramas in the
gompa courtyards. Lamas, robed in colourful garments and wearing often
startlingly frightful masks, perform mimes representing various aspects of
the religion such as the progress of the individual soul and its
purification or the triumph of good over evil.
Hemis Festival
A colorful festival is held to commemorate the
birth of Guru Padmasambhava, who is believed to have fought with demons for the
safety of the local people. Mask dances are organised and stalls are put up
selling handicrafts and other wares.
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 masked 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.
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 day 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
colorful 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
sidelines to observe the contest.
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