Ladakh is a Union Territory that is taken care of by India. It consists of a significant portion of Kashmir due to which the Indian, Pakistani, and the Chinese government is continually having a debate. Ladakh is an attraction for various individuals of this generation due to the presence of its scenic beauty and aesthetic environment. The individuals like to have a bike ride whenever they visit Ladakh because of the surroundings that are present nearby the road. Apart from having such an environment, Ladakh’s people organized various cultural events, which help them bring prosperity alongside to promote their culture. It helps them take their lifestyle to a global level. Some activities can be seen on this website.
Some festivals that you can check out in Ladakh
1. Losar
It is one of the most famous cultural events of Ladakh. It is celebrated at the start of the Tibetan month. It is a festival where various social and cultural offerings are made to god by the monks. These offerings ensure the well-being and the prosperity of the individuals. They celebrate this day by performing various types of dance.
The other attraction is the cultural fests in which there are many things to buy for visitors.
2. Sindhu Darshan
This festival is celebrated in the primordial time of Guru Purnima. Various fests take place at this time. The festival has its worth by providing solitude to the Indian military troops who sacrificed their lives so that we could live a better and healthy life. It follows a ritual where the monks worship river Indus and provide their offerings to the river.
Various cultural fests take place on that day, which includes folk dance and shops of colorful and beautiful ornaments.
3. Hemis Tsechu
This festival honors the birthday of Guru Rinpoche. The Tibetan locals wear colorful masks and celebrate this occasion by dancing and praying in the temples. This festival has its attraction due to its four-storied high painting of their guru called Thangka. They honor the Thangka along with other Thangkas that are present. It is one of the largest fests celebrated in Ladakh, including visitors worldwide. Some many shops and stores have various rare items which can be bought by visitors.
4. Matho Narang
It is one of the most important festivals that is celebrated by the Ladakhi people. This festival marks the future of the people. In this festival, two individuals are chosen as candidates who stand for being the prime priest or the oracle. The candidates are said to meditate for an extended period. The individual who could meditate for a longer period is then selected as the prime priest.
In Ladakh, the prime priest is the one who looks out for the people who game thunder the monastery. Therefore, the ritual needs to be done carefully. There are various attractions in the fest, including colorful robes, masks, and different shopping items.
5. Dosmochey
This festival is celebrated all across Leh and Ladakh. This festival is celebrated in the first month of the Tibetan Calendar. It is an entertaining yet essential festival for the Tibetan people. They believe that this festival is necessary for reliving an individual from demonic spirits.
The old and senior monks perform various rituals that help the individual get rid of the demonic spirits that are then celebrated by performing multiple dance forms and wearing beautiful and elegant robes.
6. Stok Guru Teschu
This festival is purely made for celebration. Yet, this festival is significant. This festival’s main motive is somewhat like the Matho Narang, but the main difference is that the monks who are to be selected here are specially trained by the senior monks to look after the future affairs of the people of the town.
The senior monks test the candidates to see whether the candidates that have applied for the monk are eligible to be or not. Apart from this, the day is celebrated in the Stok monastery by all the people. It has many different attractions that visitors can have during their visit to Ladakh during this festival.
7. Phyang Tsedup
This festival is celebrated all over the Leh area and is organized by the Phyang community. The festival is considered as one of the essential festivals as it honors Jigten gombo. The Thangka of Jigten is worshipped on this day. Also, a massive display of this Thangka is shown to the people. It is one of the largest festivals across Ladakh and marks the presence of a cast amount of people that include locals and visitors from outside.
8. Saka Dawa
This festival is celebrated in the Saka community on a full moon evening. This day is celebrated as the death and the birthday of Lord Buddha. The people pray and worship near the temples in front of Lord Buddha for their well-being and prosperity. In the evening, when the moonlight falls on the town, the town looks like a diamond from a distance.
The monks perform various rituals that ensure the prosperity of the town. Apart from this, people also celebrate this day by arranging various shows and shopping opportunities.
9. Ladakh Festival
This festival is celebrated on the memory of Ladakh Tourism. The government of Ladakh organizers the Ladakh festival every year to honor those sectors, which increases the revenue of Ladakh by providing various types of tourism facilities.
The people organize various fests, which include food items, clothing, shops, and many more. There is a participation of a vast number of people, including both locals and visitors. This day marks the achievement of Ladakh’s Government on making Ladakh a famous Tourist spot.
10. Kyuru Kabgyat
This festival is organized to honor the Yama and the Padmasambhava. This festival is a crucial celebration for Ladakh’s people as it involves the first ritual for offering the gods and goddesses. The monks perform various kinds of ceremonies. That ensures the offering and the prosperity of the people present in the Lamayuru monastery.
It can be an enjoyable experience for you if you are planning to visit Ladakh this festive season.