LADAKH – HEMIS FESTIVAL TOUR

Arrival at Leh Kushok Bakula airport our representative will meet & Greet you and transfer to the Hotel. This flight is one of the most sensational flights in the world. On a clear day from one side of the aircraft can be seen in the distance the peaks of K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum and on the other side of the aircraft, so close that you feel you could reach out and touch it, is the Nun Kun massif. You would take a little time to settle in and acclimatize since you have gone from a relatively low elevation in New Delhi to over (Altitude 11,000 feet). Overnight in Hotel

Morning after the breakfast you will visit the Stok palace, Located in a tiny village on the outskirts of Leh, this palace has been the Ladakhi royal family’s residence for the last 150 years since the Dogra armies invaded the Leh Palace. One may have a chance encounter with the royals here too. It houses a museum, which is said to have the best collection of exquisite Thangka paintings in the whole of Ladakh. The other things housed here are crown jewels, dresses, coins, peraks encrusted with turquoise and lapis lazuli as well as religious objects. Then Takthok Monastery. The Takthok (the monastery with rock ceiling); 50km. east of Leh, this is the only monastery belonging to the Nimgmapa school of order. The monastery came into existence when Guru Padma Sambhava visited this place and blessed it in the 8th century. The Gonpa was merely a meditation cave of Padma Sambhava, with footprints and many other signs, until the reign of King Tsewang Namgail. When Mahasiddha Kunga Phunstog introduced monastic community. It was given the name of Takthok Padmalinggon. The Takthok Festival is held in the month of July or August.

The Chemday Monastery is well famous for the Chemday festival that takes place every year here. This festival takes place on every ninth month according to Tibetan calendar on the two days – 28th as well as 29th of that month. In this festival, sacred & sanctified dance takes place which is an old custom of the monastery and dance custom is carried out on only one of these above mentioned dates. The monks, who perform this consecrated dance, wear a kind of mask on their faces. People from other places are also allowed to take part in this ceremony of dance. Overnight Leh

Morning drive to Alchi via Likir monastery LIKIR GOMPA: Founded in the 11th century and rededicated to a different monastic order in the 15th century, its earlier Gompa was destroyed in a fire. The present Gompa dated back to the 18th century. Skilled craftsmen producing excellent Thankas, earthen pots and carved wooden folding stools, live here in the village. Majestically situated, Likir commands a spectacular view. The monastery belong to the Yellow sect and the head Lama is the younger brother of Dalia Lama,

 Then Alchi monastery it is famous for the paintings built by the translator Rinchen zangpo, ALCHI GOMPA One of its walls features thousands of miniature sized pictures of the Buddha. Three large sized images made of clay and painted brightly are its focal attractions. No longer an active religious center, it is looked after by monks from the Liker monastery. This is the only monastery amongst 34 monasteries, which is not located on a hilltop. Dinner and overnight at Alchi

We drive to Lamayuru monastery which is the oldest monastery in Ladakh and famous for its landscape, more than 1000 years back the great Tibetan master Naropa had visited this place and meditate at this place and you can visit the cave also, hot lunch in the monastery hotel and drive back to ule on the way RIDZONG GOMPA: Rizong is the most isolated monastery of all the monastery of Ladakh. There is no entry fee in this monastery, Lamas used to meditate for years cutting themselves from the rest of the world except for an one feet square outlet window from where they accept the one time meal of the day the monastery was built by Tsultim Nima. CHULICHAN: Chulichan, the nunnery is around one and half Kms. Below the Rizong monastery; around 20 Nuns resides at Chulichan. They provide food and cloths to the monks and perform morning and evening prayers. Dinner and overnight at Ule

Morning we drive to Leh on the way visit Phyang Monastery: Phyang Monastery, 17km. west of Leh is remarkably built on the hilltop, similar to the Likir monastery. This monastery belongs to the Degungpa Order. It was the first monastery, which introduced the Degungpa teaching of ‘Skyob Jigsten Gonbo’ in Ladakh that was founded by Chosje Danma Kunga, during the reign of King Jamyang Namgyal in the 16th Century A.D. It has about 50 monks in residence. Phyang also has a festival called ‘Phyang Tseruk’ on the 2nd & 3rd of the 6th month of Tibetan Calendar.  Later visit Spituk Monastery: The Spituk Gonpa “Exemplary”; 7km. to southwest of Leh, was founded by Od-Ide, in the 11th century AD; when the monastic community was introduced. Meanwhile, Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo (the great translator) visited this monastery. In those days the Gonpa belonged to the Kadampa School but Gelukpa order was introduced during the reign of king Dragspa Bum-Lde, when Lama Lhawang Lotus restored the monastery. The “Spituk Gustor” takes place in the courtyard of the monastery, on the 18th and 19th of the 11th month of Tibetan Calendar. Overnight Leh.

Hemis is 46 km from Leh, morning drive to Hemis for the festival. The Hemis festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche) venerated as the Dance Performance at Hemis Monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha. He is believed to have been born on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Monkey year as predicted by the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is also believed that his life mission was, and remains, to improve the spiritual condition of all living beings. And so on this day, which comes once in a cycle of 12 years, Hemis observes a major extravaganza in his memory. The observance of these sacred rituals is believed to give spiritual strength and good health. The Hemis festival takes place in the rectangular courtyard in front of the main door of the monastery. The space is wide and open save two raised square platforms, three feet high with a sacred pole in the center. A raised dias with a richly cushioned seat with a finely painted small Tibetan table is placed with the ceremonial items – cups full of holy water, uncooked rice, tormas made of dough and butter and incense sticks. A number of musicians play the traditional music with four pairs of cymbals, large-pan drums, small trumpets and large size wind instruments. Next to them, a small space is assigned for the lamas to sit.

The ceremonies begin with an early morning ritual atop the Gompa where, to the beat of drums and the resounding clash of cymbals and the spiritual wail of pipes, the portrait of “Dadmokarpo” or “Rygyalsras Rimpoche” is then ceremoniously put on display for all to admire and worship.

The most esoteric of festivities are the mystic mask dances. The Mask Dances of Ladakh are referred collectively as chams Performance. Chams performance is essentially a part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas which follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings and the monks perform tantric worship. Overnight in Leh.