Today after breakfast, you will head to Hemis Monastery. The richest and largest monastery in India conducts the popular Hemis Festival every year in June.
The main attraction of Hemis Festival Ladakh is the masked dance which is also known as Chham Dance. It symbolizes the victory of good over the bad. Apart from dance, get amused at the performance of sacred and spectacular plays during the festival. The lamas perform in colorful attire that grabs the attention of the viewers. Every mask carries a specific meaning associated with it. Generally, the senior monks wear long gowns, decorated masks, and headgear.
At the end of the performance, the Black Hat dancers destroy a sculpture made up of dough that represents the evil powers by their heads. This denotes to the destruction of the evil spirits. The broken pieces are then thrown in four different directions which indicates the purification of the soul after death.
During the festival, a local liquor, known as 'Chang' is served to the visitors. Beautiful handicrafts are showcased that adds charm to the famous festival of Ladakh. You can shop for souvenirs from these handicraft stalls.
A statue of Guru Padmasambhava as tall as a two-storied building is showcased in the festival. The statue known as Thangka is adorned with semi-precious gems, stones, and pearls. The whole Ladakh sink into spirituality and faith during the festival. Everybody performs with zeal to make the festival colorful and beautiful. This is the best opportunity to experience the culture of Leh. Soak in the sacred aura and colorful culture of Leh and head to the Shey Gompa and Thiksey Gompa.
Shey Gompa located inside the Shey Palace houses a statue of sitting Buddha. The Tibetan Buddhist monastery Thiksey Gompa reflects the style of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.
Overnight stay in Leh hotel.
