HEMIS FESTIVAL IN LADAKH

The Hemis Festival, or Tshechu, is an annual Buddhist festival that marks the birth anniversary of Guru Rimpoche who is deeply revered in Tibetan Buddhism. Thousands of local villagers and travellers from across the world come together to pray, celebrate and watch the events. It was a wonderful experience in a very special place. A similar Tsechu occurs in Bhutan each year which I have had the privelege to witness.

Over a two day period the monks, dressed in their bright silk clothes and wearing large paper maché and wooden masks perform their choreographed Cham dances, accompanied by musicians on the balconies above. Each dance commences after the monks descend the steps from the monastery temple into the courtyard below to the sound of horns and symbols. Once finished they return to the temple.

The festival commences with the unfurling of the huge, old and revered, brocade Thankga (religious wall hanging) of Guru Rimpoche and ends when it is rolled back up and carefully and lovingly preserved for next year - and many more.

There is far too much folklore and Buddhist history associated to the dances to detail here. For more just search Hemis Festival.

Location and History.
Hemis Monastery is situated on the left bank of the India River 43 kms from Leh - the capital of Ladakh and 3700 meters above sea level (12000 feet). It is a proponent of Kagyud Lineage, one of the great four branches of Tibetan Buddhism, introduced to Ladakh between 1191 and 1274. Hemis Monastery was founded in 1630 and extensively developed around 1730.

Ladakh is one of the highest mountain regions of the world with a population of just 306,000. It is uniquely bestowed with barren and craggy ice capped mountains, plains, forests and cold deserts. I found something extremely spiritual there that I don’t think I've experienced before.