Local people flock from near and far to these events, and the spiritual benefits they get are no doubt heightened by their enjoyment of the party atmosphere, with crowds of women and men, the opportunity to make new friendships and renew old ones, the general bustle and sense of occasion.

The biggest and most famous of the monastic festivals, frequented by tourists and local alike, is that of Hemis, which falls in late June or the first half of July, and is dedicated to Padma Sambhava. Every 12 years, the Gompa’s greatest treasure, a huge thangka - a religious icon painted or embroidered on cloth - is ritually exhibited. The next unveiling is due to take place in A.D. 2004. Other monasteries which have summer festivals are Lamayuru (also early July), Phyang (late July or early August), Takthok (about ten days after Phyang) and Karsha in Zanskar (11 days after Phyang). Like Hemis, the Phyang festival too involves the exhibition of gigantic thangka, though here it is done every year.

Spituk, Stok, Thiksey, Chemrey and Matho all have their festivals in winter, between November and March. Likir and Diskit (Nubra) time their festivals to coincide with Dosmochey, the festival of the scapegoat, which is also celebrated with fervour at Leh. Falling in the second half of February, Dosmochey is one of two New Year festivals, the other being Losar. At Dosmochey, a great wooden mast decorated with streamers and religious emblems is et up outside Leh. At the appointed time, offerings of storma, ritual figures moulded out of dough, are brought out and ceremonially cast away into the desert, or burnt. These scapegoats carry away with them the evil spirits of the old year, and thus the town is cleansed and made ready to welcome the New Year.

Losar falls about the time of the winter solstice, any time between 8th and 30th December. All Ladakhi Buddhists celebrate it by making offerings to the gods, both in Gompas and in their domestic shrines.

Calendar of Festivals