| Apart
from being the spiritual hub of all social activities, the monasteries
are also the centres of Ladakh's cultural. The religious fervour of the
people finds expression in the annual festivals celebrated here. These
generally follow the lunar calendar and therefore their dates vary from
year to year. One of the festivals which is famous and celebrated with
zest is the Hemis festival. Hemis is the biggest monastery of Ladakh and
the spiritual centre of Buddhists. People from all over Ladakh come to
attend this two day long festival. The festival is preceded by seven days
of prayers by the monks in the monastery. The most impressive part of the
festival is the famous mask dance which lamas of the monastery perform
continuously for two days. The masks represent various gods and demons.
The whole festival signifies the triumph of good over evil. The day marks
the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of the red sect. |
