Festivals and Fairs in India
One of the most famous monastic festivals of the region is the hemis festival held in June every year. The festival commemorates the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. During this three day festival the sacred dance drama of the life and mission is performed wearing facial masks and colorful brocades robes. In the monkey year festival, which comes in a cycle of 11 years, the four-storey thanka of Guru Padma Sambhava is hung in the courtyard and other precious thankas are also exhibited.
Among non-monastic festivals held are the Losar or New Year celebrations and the Ladakh Festival organized by the state government. The Ladakh festival takes place from September 1-15 every year. The inauguration ceremony takes place in Leh on large scale with the procession of various cultural troupes from different part of Ladakh passing through Leh Market dancing, singing with traditional music, in colorful traditional Ladakhi dresses, and finishes at Polo ground after performing their best dances and songs. The program includes Archery, Polo, and Mask Dances from the monasteries, traditional dances by cultural troupes from Villages. There are series of musical concert and dance program in Leh town.
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