Saturday, 8 June 2013

The colorful festivals of Ladakh

Festivals form a very important role in the lifestyle of Ladakhi people. These festivals provide people the opportunity to interact with each other, form new ties and renew the old ones. Most of the annual festivals of the Gompas in Ladakh take place during winter, which is a relatively idle time for majority of the people. It is time when the whole village gathers together. Stalls are erected and goods of daily need and enjoyment are sold. It is also the best time for tourists to visit Ladakh as it gives them a chance to get a glimpse of the Ladakhi culture and way of living. Some of the famous festivals of Ladakh are the Buddha Purnima, Hemis Tse chu festival, Sindhu Darshan festival,Lumayuru festival, Phyang Tse Dup festival,Thikse festival etc.

These festivals are a reflection of the rich cultural heritage of the Ladakh. Of all the festivals of Ladakh, Hemis festival is the most famous.


The spectacular dance-drama, with colorful masks and costumes, offers a wonderfully authentic experience of Ladakhi culture. It is celebrated in the June or early July and is dedicated to Guru Pasmasambhava. One specialty about this festival is that it takes place during the summers unlike other festivals which takes place during the winters. During this period, tourists from various places around the globe come for Ladakh tour to witness the colorful festival.  Sindhu Darshan festival is another well known festival which people celebrates with full enthusiasm. This festival is celebrated every year as homage to the Indus River and people from nearby villages and towns flocks in to take part in the celebrations and enjoy themselves. The festival is kaleidoscope of Indian culture and showcases an exciting array of performing arts being brought together at an exciting place. Held on the banks of Indus River, exhibitions, polo matches and archery competition are the main attractions of the festival. Come to Ladakh and enjoy the vibrant colors of the festivals of Ladakh. 

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