Imagine walking on the tough terrains of the lofty Himalayas with the fresh air reeking of festivity, folk tunes playing in the backdrop, birds chirping a melodious note, and vibrant hues splattered all over, and all this sans the cacophony of the city! Sounds like some dream vacation to some fantasy land, right? Well, the upcoming Ladakh festival promises all of this.
The festival will kick start on September 1st and will go on for the next 15 days. Organised by the state tourism board of Jammu and Kashmir, the Ladakh festival gives you more than just a sneak peek into the local culture of Ladakh.
The highlight of the carnival remains the tribal mask dances and folk songs. The inauguration ceremony, however, takes place in Leh and the procession then moves to Ladakh. This colorful and cultural extravaganza is aimed at promoting and maintaining the rich heritage of the Ladakhi culture, which is celebrated by the locals and tourists together as village troupes portray ceremonial costumes.
While males indulge in archery, the females put up folk dances; and select lamas do some mask dances. A polo tournament called Ladakh Festival Cup is also hosted.
“It (procession) passes through Leh Market dancing, singing with traditional music, in colorful traditional Ladakhi dresses, and finishes at Polo ground after performing,” says Ransar Pant, a local resident.
Milind Bhide, director of Countryside Adventure Holidays, organises regular trips to Ladakh. “Tsechu or the Ladakh Harvest Festival brings on music concerts, road shows, monastic mask dance (Chhams), mock marriages, thangka exhibition, archery competitions and much more. It also provides the local people an opportunity for socialising, trading and is fused with entertainment,” he explains.
Parthava Nag of Trip to Click agrees that Ladakh is gaining popularity amongst the crowd. “Ladakh gives an image which is larger than life. The mountains, the landscape is unrealistically true. Our last Trip to Click’s destination was Ladakh, where we felt close to divine and came back with a very vibrant and positive energy. The road trips, the feeling under the clear sky, the people, the beauty, the weather just makes the place what it is,” he says.
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