Ladakh Festival

Festivals in Ladakh are the blend of various cultures of Central Asian, Tibetan, Northern India
. The celebration duration of Ladakh festival is of 15 days i.e from the 1st to the 15th of September. Number of various sports such as polo and archery are conducted. Folk dances and songs, its age-old social and cultural ceremonies, its art and handicrafts, all come alive in a colorful kaleidoscope.

Hemis Festival
Hemis is one of the biggest and most famous of the monastic festivals, frequented by tourists and local alike. It is celebrated in late June or in the first half of July, and is dedicated to Padmasambhava. After 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 after Phiyang) and Karsha in Zanskar (11 days after Phiyang). Like Hemis, the Phiyang festival also involves the exhibition of gigantic thangka, though here it is done every year.

Dosmoche Festival
This is the festival of the scapegoat, and is celebrated with fervor at Leh. It falls 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 set 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 previous year, and thus the town is cleansed and absolutely ready to welcome the new 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.

Losar Festival
Losar - this spectacular festival celebrates the Ladakhi/Tibetan new year. Celebration last for 2 weeks during December or January, depending on the Lunar calander . All Ladakhi Buddhists celebrate it by making offerings to the gods, both in gompas and in their domestic shrines. The festival is marked with ancient rituals, the stage fights between good & evil, chanting and passing through the crowds with fire torches. The dance of the Ibex deer and the dramatic battles between the King & his ministers add to the joyous atmosphere. Full of music, dancing and merry-making ! This important festival changes their location & dates every year.

Sindhu Darshan Festival
Sindhu Darshan Festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of river Sindhu, also known as the Indus. People travel for a Darshan and Puja of the River Sindhu (Indus) which originates from the Mansarovar in Tibet. The aim of the festival is projecting the Sindhu river as a symbol of multi-dimensional cultural identity, communal harmony and peaceful co-existence in India. Whilst promoting tourism in this area, this festival is also a symbolic salute to the brave soldiers of India who have valiantly fought the odds at Siachen, Kargil and other places.

It is also an opportunity for people from around the country and overseas to visit the beautiful regions of Leh and Ladakh. Celebrated first time in the year 1997, the festival is organised annually at Leh in the month of May-June by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the Ministry of tourism and culture, Government of India. The festival is kaleidoscope of Indian culture and showcases an exciting array of performing arts being brought together at an exciting place. As part of the celebrations, various groups from different states in India bring water from the other mighty rivers in the country in earthen pots and immerse these pots in the Sindhu river, thereby mingling the river water with other waters of the land.

Ladakh Harvest Festival
This festival usually starts from 1st september and lasts till sepftember 15th. It is a colourful celebration of the rich, cultural diversity of Ladakh's people. The weeks long festivities are held all over the region. Music, theatre, polo, archery,& wedding ceremonies,are performed daily along with mask and folk dances,with the final carnival parade passing through the streets.