Hemis Festival of laddakh

Submitted To :Sana Maidullah Mam

Presented by :Sanjay Chourasiya

JIWAJI UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF STUDIES IN TOURISM AND TRAVEL MANAGEMENT, GWALIOR

Hemis Festival
The Hemis festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche) venerated as the Dance Performance at Hemis Monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha. He is believed to have been born on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Monkey year as predicted by the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is also believed that his life mission was, and remains, to improve the spiritual condition of all living beings. And so on this day, which comes once in a cycle of 12 years, Hemis observes a major extravaganza in his memory. The observance of these sacred rituals is believed to give spiritual strength and good health. The Hemis festival takes place in the rectangular courtyard in front of the main door of the monastery. The space is wide and open save two raised square platforms, three feet high with a sacred pole in the center. A raised dias with a richly cushioned seat with a finely painted small Tibetan table is placed with the ceremonial items - cups full of holy water, uncooked rice, tormas made of dough and butter and incense sticks. A number of musicians play the traditional music with four pairs of cymbals, large-pan drums, small trumpets and large size wind instruments. Next to them, a small space is assigned for the lamas to sit.

 The ceremonies begin with an early morning ritual atop the Gompa where, to the beat of drums and the resounding clash of cymbals and the spiritual wail of pipes, the portrait of "Dadmokarpo" or "Rygyalsras Rimpoche" is then ceremoniously put on display for all to admire and worship. The most esoteric of festivities are the mystic mask dances. The Mask Dances of Ladakh are referred collectively as chams Performance. Chams performance is essentially a part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas which follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings and the monks perform tantric worship.

Hemis festival in Ladakh The Hemis festival is one of the biggest and the most famous religious festivals of Ladakh and is an attraction for both the tourist and the local people. The festival of Hemis is a colorful two-day affair that falls on the 10th day (called Tse-Chu in the local language) of the Tibetan lunar month. This festival is a celebration of the birth anniversary of spiritual leader Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibet Tantric Buddhism. The main venue and stage for this festival is the courtyard of Hemis Gompa-the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh.

The Monastery of Hemis Jangchub Choling: situated 40 km from Leh, this monastery is the principal, richest, loveliest and renowned gompa of Ladakh. Hemis was constructed in 1630 all through the rule of Sengge Namgyal, a memorable sovereign of Ladakh. It throve under the Namgyal progeny for ages as the royalty blessed the Drugpa sect, which administered the monastery. It is popular because of the major annual celebration organized here in summer. The leading Thanka in Ladakh is also present here that unfolds itself once in a period of 12 years.

The carnival preparations: The head priest directs the festival. The local people are noticed being transformed and adorned in their premium conventional apparels for the function. Priests called chams carry out impressive masquerades yet revered plays in the company of long horns, drums and cymbals played by monks. The entertainers wear detailed and peculiar vivid brocade dresses and facade and outfits and intensely tinted masks. These masks are the most fundamental component of the dance. The music is typically interposed with resonance of unwieldy trumpets, cymbals and drums.

The Cham Dance: The dance movements are slow, and the expressions grotesque. Each multihued mask represents an unusual stature of the myth thats being exhibited. The famous Padmasambhava dance, which illustrates the subjugation of the ruta demons, incorporates Yama the God of demise, and the black-hatted wizard, Guru Trakpo the conqueror of all fiends.

Unique exhibition every 12 years: This pulsating fiesta takes a promising turn, when the two-storey high Thanka portraying Padmasambhava puts on a show at an interval of every 12 years in the Tibetan calender. This celebrated Thanka, opulently embellished with pearls and semi-precious stones, was last exhibited in the revelries of the year 2004. A multicolored fair, demonstrating several stunning handiworks, is the special focal point of the celebration

The festival dates and duration: This festival falls in the 5th month of Tibetan calendar and is in the month of June or the first half of July. The fanfare lasts for 2-3 days. Feel the thrill with ThrillChimp: Live your dream of taking part in this vibrant festival and enjoy the local cuisine and adventure safaris on yaks and camels while there. Reach out to us today for our special customizable seasonal packages to Leh-Ladakh and let us plan the best holiday of your life!

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