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The Hemis festival is dedicated to
Lord Padmasambhava (Gur Rimpoche) venerated as the 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 "Shakia Muni Buddha".
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.
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