Colorful Festivals of Leh Ladakh

Like all other parts of India, Ladakh is a converging point for many religions. Every year, thousands of people become a part of Ladakh tourism to witness the different festivals in Ladakh. Ladakhis celebrate festivals throughout the year with the grandest one being the Hemis Tse-Chu. The festival celebrates the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, who according to the legend for a brave man who fought demons to protect the Ladakhi people. Every 12 years, the Ladakhi people embroider or paint a large cloth with their religion icon, which is then displayed for everyone to see. Taking a road trip to Ladakh in July during the festival time just sounds like the perfect idea!

Celebrating the new year with dance and music

Celebrated in the end of December, Losar is Ladakh’s version of a New Year eve party during which people gather in circles around a large fire and dance, chant mantra, wear colorful clothes, and spread the happy vibe. Hindus from the Indus region celebrate a unique festival called Sindhu Darshan in June every year. It is part of many Leh Ladakh tour packages and celebrates the contribution of Indus River in maintaining harmony among all lands and different ethnic groups of the region.

A popular festival that lasts over two weeks, Ladakh Festival attracts people from all over the world. You can go on a Ladakh tour with bike as the group travels from one location to another before the final celebrations in Leh. A Ladakh tour guide will help with the route so that you don’t miss out the festivities and nomadic games played.

Phyang Tsedup is a special festival hosted at the Phyang monastery between July and August that celebrates the teachings of Lord Buddha. All monks of the monastery wear bright silk robes and offer prays. They also perform a sacred mask dance called Chhams that turn everyone around cheerful and happy. The monks also display paintings inside the monastery.

Masked dancers and vibrant costumes

If you are taking a bike trip to Ladakh in March, you should definitely visit the Matho monastery for the Matho Nagrang festival. The monks dress up like Ladakhi gods and goddesses complete with colorful masks and silk robes. The celebrations last for over two days and is a huge sensation among the locals.

Yuru Kabgyat is another popular festival that has become part of every Ladakh tour package during the month of July. It is conducted at the Lamayuru monastery, where people living in nearby areas come together and mimic the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism with dance and songs. The monks of the monasteries wear colorful clothes during the festival. Thiksey Gustor is a beautiful festival hosted in November in Thiksey, Spituk, and Karsha monasteries. On the second day of the festivals, Black Hat Dancers perform a dance to portray their victory over the evil. It finishes with a dough cutting ceremony, which is a unique feature of the festival.

Witnessing the simple yet colorful festivals of Leh and Ladakh make a trip to the region even more enchanting.