Leh, July 16 – Tibetan Buddhists in the Himalayan region of Ladakh recently celebrated the two-day Hemis festival.
The main function was held at the isolated monastery of Hemis, 45 kilometers from Leh, capital of Ladakh.
Hidden from the world by towering walls of barren rocks, the 16th century Hemis monastery is revered by Tibetan Buddhists, being the home of the widely practised “Brugpa School” of Buddhism.
The festival, held on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar, commemorates the birthday of Acharya Padmasambhava who is considered as Guru Rinpoche (the precious teacher).
The ceremony in a unqiue way combines meditation and spiritual activity.
Some monks meditate, while others chant. The dances and songs, it is believed further the spiritual process.
Each dance begins with a homage to the gods with a deliberately slow movement of feet. The rhythm slowly picks up in the second stage and reaches a feverish pitch towards the end.
Masked dancers depict deities and various manifestations of Guru Rinpoche and other religious masters.
“Eight incarnations of gods come here (for the festival) and perform dance. It means that god is showing meaning to all the beings in the living world, both humans and animals. They appear in the form of incarnations,” said Tsewang Rigzen, a Buddhist monk.
Ladakh is one of the last strongholds of traditional Tibetan Buddhism, as China has put restrictions on the religion in Tibet.
Located at a height of 12,000 feet to 14,000 feet, the picturesque region is also popularly known as the roof of the world.
