HEMIS FESTIVAL
Hemis
gompa holds its festival on the 10th and 11th day of the fifth month of the
Tibetan calendar, corresponding to late June or early July. The festival
opens with the unfurling and display of a large thanka, reputedly one of the
largest in the world, that is only displayed once every 11 years (its last
appearance was in July 1992). It takes about 50 monks to carry and unfold
the thanka. The hands of the artist who painted it are preserved as holy
relics, although they are not displayed to the public.
The
Rimpoche (head lama) of Hemis leaves his private apartments to pray in the
Dukhang. Then, accompanied by musician monks, he walks to the central
courtyard and takes his place on his throne in the gallery. The masked
dances begin shortly thereafter, before the huge thanka on display, with the
courtyard's prayer flags forming the dances' central point. These dances
represent the forces of good, symbolized by legendary heroes and saints,
overcoming the forces of evil, represented by demons. The violence of the
demons is conquered by the superiority of virtue based on wisdom and the
demons are driven away. The dances continue throughout the two-day festival.
MATHO FESTIVAL
Matho gompa has two significant festivals during the
winter months: the two-day Nagrang festival (usually in February at the
Tibetan New Year) and the one-day Nispetsergyat (usually in March).
During the Nagrang festival, two lamas, called Rongzam, who are chosen every
three years by Matho's lamas, go into a trance in the Gonkhang room of the
gompa. Adorned with old weapons, they run over the mountain ridges and also
over the gompa's roofs. They are evil-minded on the first day, vividly
demonstrated by the hitting spectators, and peaceful on the second day.
At the Nispetsergyat festival, the Rongzam ride on horseback over
the same route they previously took on foot. Both festivals are accompanied
by masked dances. The Rongzam have the additional responsibility of
demonstrating their divine powers and hence the powers of Buddhism, whenever
someone in the village loses faith. They do this by battering themselves
with old weapons on their arms, feet and tongue. The wounds do not bleed and
heal so quickly that the Luyar are able to dance a short time later, thus
proving the power of Buddhist belief. This ritual takes place on the 14th
and 15th days of the first month of the Tibetan calendar.
Matho
is also famous for its oracle, the Rhabo of Matho, who, in contrast to the
lay oracles of Thiksey and Shey, is a lama living in the gompa. On special
occasions he runs over the mountains near Matho gompa blindfolded, only "seeing"
with the help of a painting placed on his front and back. He then answers
villagers' questions at the base of Matho peak.
THIKSEY FESTIVAL
Held in the summer for the first time in 1983.
Thiksey's two-day festival follows the same format as that of Hemis. What
makes the Thiksey festival especially notable is the trade fair held at the
same time at the gompa's base. Villagers from all over Ladakh gather to eat,
drink, play cards, barter, trade items and generally socialize in a
sprawling area below the gompa. In addition, tea-stalls, sweet sellers and
refreshment stands are located in this area and on the footpath leading up
to the gompa.
SHEY FESTIVALS
Shey gompa has two festivals during the summer months.
In July, the Metukba festival lasts for one day and consists of prayers for
the well being of all life in the world. During the Metukba, the Shey
oracle, a layman from the Shey area, stays at the Tuba gompa (a short
distance from Shey gompa) where he engages in a two to three day prayer in
order to be possessed and become an oracle. He then leaves the Tuba gompa on
horseback and leads a long procession to Shey gompa, all the while accepting
offerings of chang, the local beer, prophesying the future and answering
petitioners' questions.
Although other gompas also have oracles,
the Shey oracle is considered the most powerful and is viewed as a god who
has achieved the highest level of existence. It is said that if one does not
believe the Shey oracle's answer and consults another oracle, the second
oracle will not answer.
During the August harvest festival,
called Shey Shublas, the Shey oracle begins by engaging in a two-to
three-day prayer at Tuba gompa, a short distance from Shey. This oracle, a
layman from the Shey area, leaves the Tuba gompa in a trance and on
horseback, leads a long procession to Shey gompa. After his emergence from
Tuba, while possessed and during the procession to Shey and his appearance
there, he accepts numerous offerings of chang, the local beer, answers
petitioners' questions and prophesies the future.
LEH ANNUAL
TOURIST FESTIVAL
This festival was first held in 1987.
Lasting for one week with different events scheduled for each day, the
festival begins with a colourful procession down the main street of Leh. The
procession includes musicians, archers and masked figures walking on stilts
over five feet high. The procession reaches a dirt arena near the bus stop,
where an archery contest is held.
While the archers practice,
musicians play drums and horns and groups of women, dressed in the
traditional costumes of Ladakh and Baltistan, sit on the sidelines to
observe the contest.
The Dard women of Baltistan wear distinctive
head-dresses of orange ribbons curled to look like flowers, while Ladakhi
women wear peroks - eleborate head-dresses with fur side flaps and a large
band decorated with turquoise and coral reaching from their forehead to part
way down their back.
The festival also includes several
afternoons of polo matches at the Leh polo grounds, which were deliberately
built within sight of Leh palace, so that women in the royal family could
watch the matches without being observed by the general public.
The polo ponies, small and sturdy, make quick charges against the backdrop
of snow-covered peaks. There are virtually no rules to this game and at
times the whole affair resembles nothing more than a general free-for-all.
The program for this festival will vary from year to year but it will always
include the main ingredients of archery, musicians, polo and plenty of chang,
being consumed by the participants.
Nandadevi 
Copyright
© Oasis Excursions.
All Rights Reserved