The birth of Guru Padmasambhava is celebrated as the Hemis Festival in Ladakh. Celebrated in the courtyard of Hemis Gompa, which is known as the largest Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, the Hemis Festival is regarded as one of the most famous Monastic festivals celebrated in Ladakh.
After a tough winter, the Hemis monastery opens its doors to enjoy the festivities. The date changes every year as it is celebrated on the 10th day of the Lunar calendar of the Tibetan month. In 2019, the festival will be celebrated on July 11 and 12. It is usually believed that Guru Padmasambhava is a representative reincarnate of Buddha.
Every year, the Hemis festival attracts a large number of Tibetans as well as tourists who come to watch and celebrate the festival as they watch the Lamas called Chamms perform masked dance and sacred plays. The performances are accompanied by cymbals, drums and long horns. Every 12 years, the festival takes an auspicious direction when the Tibetan year of the Monkey is celebrated. During this time, the two storey high “Thanka” or a religious icon painted or embroidered on cloth depicting Padmasambhava is displayed.
Lamas can be seen dressed in colourful brocades and masked attire while they perform the dance where the underlying theme is good defeating the evil, i.e. Gods defeating the Demons. The different Mudras performed as a part of this dance symbolise the various aspects of the dance drama. Some other performers wear masks representing different divinities of religious or historical importance also perform. Local people become a part of the festival by wearing their finest traditional apparel for the occasion.
During the festival, a lot of stalls filled with varieties of souvenirs and handicrafts are stored. You can shop and purchase a variety of products and take them back as tokens from your trip. It certainly creates a colourful ambience and make Hemis Festival a must attend festival.
