In Ladakh every occasion marriage, birth, harvesting, commemoration of
head Lamas founding of the monastery, Losar (new year) and flowering is
marked by feasting, dancing and the singing of folksongs that forms a
part of its living heritage. Most of the festivals are held in winter
but some popular festival take place in summer too. The monastic
festivals are the heart of all the festivals. They are performed by
Monks wearing colorful silk garments and different facial mask.
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Hemis Festival
Hemis festival is one of the most famous monastic festivals in June
to commemorate birth of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tantric
Buddhism in Tibet. The sacred dance drama of the life and mission is
performed wearing facial masks and colorful brocades robes. The
three-day festival takes place from 9th to 11th. Especially the
monkey year festival, which comes in a cycle of 12 years. During it
the four-storey thanka of Guru Padma Sambhava is hung in the
courtyard and other precious thankas are also exhibited.
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Thiksey, Karsha
and Spituk Gustor
Gustors take place at Thiksey, Spituk and Karsha in different months
of the year. The festival takes place for two days. The celebration
is to mark the victory over evils. The mask worn by the dancers
represent the Guardians, Protectors and the Gods and Goddesses. The
festival ends with the symbolic assassination of evils and burning
of the effigy of evils
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Dosmochey
Dosmochey is celebrated in Leh (Leh Palace), Liker (Lower Ladakh)
and Deskit (Nubra valley) monasteries in February. The most famous
among all is Leh Dosmochey, which is celebrated for two days in the
courtyards of the Leh palace. The monks from different monasteries
perform the Chams every year turn by turn. The festival takes place
in the end and starting of the Tibetan New Year. The monks of
Takthok monastery prepares the offering with Thread crosses which
binds all the evil, hungry ghosts and guard against natural disaster
in the coming year. On the second day of the festival, the offerings
are taken out of the town in a procession and burn it while people
whistle to chase away the evil spirits. |
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Matho Nagrang
Matho Nagrang is celebrated on the 15th day of the 1st month of
Tibetan calander, at Matho monastery, the only monastery of the
Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism. During these two days of festival
mask dances are performed by monks of the monastery wearing colorful
silk brocaded robes and mask in different forms of God and
Goddesses. The festival is famous because of appearance of the two
oracles during the festival after full month meditation in complete
isolation. The two oracles appear in the courtyard accompanying mask
dancers and predict future events and people from far and away come
to seek advice to perform ritual to tackle with disasters.
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Stok Guru Tsechu
The monks of Stok and Spituk monasteries also celebrate Stok Gruru
Tsechu for two days with mask dances performed. It is also held in
Feb. around a week before the Matho Nagrang. During the festival two
oracle appears, but they are laymen from the same village prepared
by monks to receive the spirit of the deities.
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Phyang Tsedup
Phyang Tsedup takes place in July / August. Like other monasteries,
monks wearing colorful brocade robes and Mask in the form of
different god and goddesses perform mask dances. The huge thanka of
Skyoba Giksten Gonbo is hung in the courtyard during the festival.
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Yuru Kabgyat
The 2-day festival takes place in July in Lamayuru monastery around
125 kms. from Leh. Monks like other monastic festival perform mask
dances. During the festival monks perform prayer and rituals to get
rid of disaster and peace in the world.
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Losar
Celebration
The Losar (New Year) celebration is followed by Galdan Namchot, the
birth anniversary of Tsogkha pa who introduced Gelukpa School of
order. During Namchot people illuminate their houses, monasteries
and mountains and make offerings in the houses and monasteries.
The Losar festival is celebrated in the eleventh month of Tibetan
calendar, two months ahead of Tibetan New Year. In early 17th
century, King Jamyang Namgyal decided to lead an expedition against
the Baltistan forces in winter; therefore he decided to celebrate
the festival two months before. Later it became a tradition and
being celebrated in the eleventh month.
The festival lasts for around a month, during which Gods, deities,
ancestors and even the animals are fed without fail. Images of Ibex
are made as auspicious symbol, walls of the kitchens are dotted and
are believed to bring prosperity in coming year. The Metho
(procession of fire) is thrown out chanting slogans and chasing
hungry ghosts and evil spirits, and they return with rocks of ice as
auspicious symbol and these are kept in the store. In some villages
there is a tradition of making Old men and women, from this snow
which last for a week. Over all the Losar all children and young and
olds enjoy and celebrate the festival. All family members get
together to celebrate if someone missing will have their cups filled
with tea by their name.
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Ladakh Festival
Ladakh festival takes place in September 1-15 every year in Leh and
villages. The inauguration ceremony takes place in Leh on large
scale with the procession of various cultural troupes from different
part of Ladakh. It passes through Leh Market dancing, singing with
traditional music, in colorful traditional Ladakhi dresses, and
finishes at Polo ground after performing their best dances and
songs. The festival last for 15 days with regular program in
different villages. The program includes Archery, Polo, and Mask
Dances from the monasteries, traditional dances by cultural troupes
from Villages. There are series of musical concert and dance program
in Leh town.
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Sindhu Darshan
(Visit Indus) Festival
Sindhu Darshan is three-day festival held from 1st to 3rd June, in
Shey Manla around 8 kms. from Leh on the bank of Indus river. For
the first time it was organized in October 1997, as a symbol of
unity and Communal harmony and national integration. Whilst
promoting domestic tourism in Ladakh. It is also a symbolic salute
to brave soldiers of India who have been fighting not only with
enemies in the in the human form but also in the form of nature.
During this festival artists from different parts of the country
perform traditional dances and people from all religions, castes and
regions participate.
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2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
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Spitok Gustor
Zanskar |
JAN 8,9 |
JAN 27,28 |
JAN 17,18 |
JAN 6,7 |
JAN 23,24 |
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Dosmoche Leh, Likir And Deskit |
FEB 6,7 |
FEB 26,27 |
FEB 15,16 |
FEB 4,5 |
FEB 22,23 |
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Stok Guru Tse-Cue |
FEB 17,18 |
MAR 8,9 |
FEB 25,26 |
FEB 15,16 |
MAR 5,6 |
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Matho Nagrang |
FEB 22,23 |
MAR 14,15 |
MAR 3,4 |
FEB 20,21 |
MAR 10,11 |
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Budha Purnima |
MAY 23 |
JUNE 11 |
MAY 31 |
JUNE 18 |
JUNE 6 |
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Hemis TSE-CHU |
JUN 17,18 |
JUL 6,7 |
JUN 25,26 |
JUL 12,13 |
JUL 1,2 |
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Yuru Kabgyat |
JUN 23,24 |
JUL 12,13 |
JUL 2,3 |
JUL 20,21 |
JUL 8,9 |
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Zanskar Karsha
Gustor |
JUL 3,4 |
JUL 22,23 |
JUL 11,12 |
JUL 29,30 |
JUL 18,19 |
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Ph-Yang Tsedup |
AUG 7,8 |
JUL 27,28 |
JUL 16,17 |
AUG 3,4 |
JUL 22,23 |
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Korzok Gustor |
AUG 8,9 |
JUL 28,29 |
JUL 17,18 |
AUG 4,5 |
JUL 23,24 |
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Dak-Thok
Tse-Chu |
AUG 15,16 |
AUG 4,5 |
JUL 24,25 |
AUG 11,12 |
JUL 30,31 |
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Sant Naro
Nasjal |
AUG 18,19 |
AUG 8,9 |
JUL 29,30 |
AUG 15,16 |
AUG 3,4 |
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Shachukul
Gustor |
AUG 30, SEP 1 |
AUG 20,21 |
AUG 10,11 |
AUG 27,28 |
AUG 16,17 |
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Thiksay Gustor |
NOV 18,19 |
NOV 8,9 |
OCT 28,29 |
NOV 15,16 |
NOV 4,5 |
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Chemrey Angchok |
NOV 29,30 |
NOV 18,19 |
NOV 7,8 |
NOV 25,26 |
NOV 13,14 |
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Galdan Namchot |
DEC 26 |
DEC 15
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DEC 4
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DEC 21
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DEC 10 |
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Losar |
JAN 1 |
DEC 21 |
DEC 10 |
DEC 28 |
DEC 16 |
Pour réserver un voyage a Ladakh, cliquez ici
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