Festivals Galore

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.

Lamas wearing terrifying masks at the Lamayuru festival

Festival Calendar