Best Festivals of Ladakh

The Hemis Gompa being the largest and richest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh hosts its annual  Hemis festival on the 10th day of the Tibetan lunar month. Celebrated to commemorate the birth  of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. 

During the festival, the locals and monks dress up in traditional clothes, where men wear  cummerbunds and women wear vibrant headgears and ample jewellery. During the monkey  year, which comes in a cycle of 12 years, the four-storey thangka of Guru Padmasambhava is  hung in the courtyard with other precious thangkas out on display. 

The Lamas perform the sacred masked dance known as Chaam while being accompanied by  musical drums, longhorns and cymbals. The mystic mask dances performed here to form an  important part of the Tantric tradition. Synchronisation of the dances with traditional instruments  in the background makes the festival a lively and entertaining affair attracting tourists and  Buddhism believers from all over the world, even in harsh and cold conditions.

When is it celebrated: It is a 3-day festival that is celebrated from the 9th - 11th June. 
Where is it celebrated: It is celebrated in the Hemis Gompa or Monastery located 45 km  towards the south-east of the main city of Leh. 

The Losar festival goes on for a month during which the Gods, deities, ancestors and even  animals are fed scrumptiously prepared food. It is celebrated as the New Year two months ahead  of the Tibetan New Year. In the 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. People illuminate their  houses and offer sacrifices and offerings during these celebrations. The pictures of an Ibex are  put up as an auspicious symbol with walls of the kitchens being dotted which are believed to  bring prosperity in the coming year. 

Then a procession of fire or Metho is organised with people chanting slogans to chase away  ghosts and evil spirits. Some villages also keep up the tradition of making snowmen, which lasts  for a week. People of all ages celebrate this festival with family members getting together and the  tradition of drinking a cup of tea with their name on it, these cups are made even for members  who are absent and that makes it one of the best things to include in the package  during planning tour Ladakh tour. 

This festival is very entertaining and sees the enactment of a lot of ancient rituals like stage fights  between good & evil, the dance of the Ibex deer, dramatic battles between the Kind and his  ministers. Sees the re-enactment of a lot of ancient rituals as a part of the celebrations like the  stage fights between good & evil, a dance of the Ibex deer, dramatic battles between the King &  his ministers etc. 

When is it celebrated: The Losar festival is celebrated in the eleventh month of Tibetan  calendar, two months ahead of Tibetan New Year, either in the month of December or January. 

Where is it celebrated: It is celebrated in all of Ladakh.

Sindhu Darshan is a three-day festival organised on a full moon night in the month of June to  commemorate the river Indus as a symbol of communal harmony and unity in India. Whilst  promoting tourism in Ladakh, it is also revered as a proud salute to the brave soldiers who have  been fighting bravely for our safety. When you are on your Ladakh road trip expedition this  festival is must attend. 

The most distinct part is that people bring water from their own state in a pot and immerse it in  the Sindhu River. On the first day of the festival, a reception for all the participants takes place,  organized on the banks of river Sindhu at Shey. 

Prayers are also offered on the banks of the rivers by the 50 senior lamas who reside here. A  bonfire also takes place at night. On the second day, a cultural program and sightseeing trip is  organized, which is further followed by a Puja. The third day remains jam-packed with many  tourists as some grand celebration takes place on this day. 

When is it celebrated: Sindhu Darshan is a three-day festival held from 1st to 3rd June, in Shey  Manila around 8 km.

Where is it celebrated: It is celebrated on the banks of River Sindhu.

The Phyang Tsedup Festival happens on the 2nd and 3rd day of the 6th month of the Tibetan  Calendar which usually falls in the months of July or August and these months are ideal for Leh  Ladakh bike trip. During the Phyang Tsedup festival celebrations, you’ll see monks wearing  colourful brocade robes and masks to perform traditional dances with rich costumes to venerate  and worship their deity. 

This festival in Ladakh is especially marked for the enthusiasm, energy and their constant smiling  faces of the monks throughout the festival which uplifts the air and aura of the place. A huge  Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or  mandala also known as a Thanka of Skyoba Jigten Gombo, founder of the Degungpa way of  teaching and the Dringumpa Monastic Dynasty, is hung in the courtyard during the festival. 

This Thanks to the Jigten Gombo is worshipped which marks the triumph of good over evil. Ritual  offerings are also burnt and sacrificed on the second day and the Stroma is also burnt to  conclude the procession. People from all different parts of India and abroad throng the grounds  to celebrate the Phyang Festival with great pomp. 

When is it celebrated: The Phyang Tsedup Festival is held on the 2nd and 3rd day of the 6th  month of Tibetan Calendar which usually falls in July-August. 

Where is it celebrated: It is celebrated in Phyang Monastery in Ladakh (19.1 km from Leh)