Hemis
Festival- The Kumbh Mela Of Himalayas
It is better to see something once
than to hear about it a thousand times,isn’t it?This quote reminds me of
Ladakh, a place blessed with snow-capped mountains, dazzling in the bright sun
and kissing the blue skies. The vast barren land, wild purple flowers, rapid streams
procure birth from an unknown source flowing down flawlessly and the adorable
marmots, all ready to get cuddled, make this place no lesser than a paradise. Besides, the local inhabitants, their culture
and ambrosial food act as a crème de la crème to the magnificence of this
place. Let’s take you on a cultural tour of Ladakh’s most important festival,
known as “Hemis Festival”. Hopefully you can plan for the upcoming years too.
|
Mask Dance |
After stepping out of the vehicle, I
started following the crowd uphill. The landscape provided breathtaking
panorama,comprised of huge Rocky Mountains and thin vegetations. I spotted an
inclined truck loaded with locals (ladakhis).In the midst of the hill was
sparkling distinctively- The Hemis Monastery, almost 40 kms from Leh, it is the
biggest Tibetan monastery in Ladakh. People seemed rushing towards it not only
because it is a holy shrine, but also due to the festival- the celebration to
commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. He is known as the
reincarnation of Guru Rinpoche, famously known as Buddha. Guru Padmasambhava is
the one who came up with the ideology of‘Vajrayana Budhhism’. This tantric form
of Buddhism not only overpowers the evil but also converts some into protectors
and guardians.
As Mahatma Gandhi truly said, “A
Nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of the people.” Undoubtedly,
Hemis festival best suits the above quote. It is one of the best ways to enter
the hearts of the local people and understand their rituals, their beliefs and
their fears. The festival is 300 years old approximately and is still
celebrated with great pomp and show. Since, my family has been culturally and
artistically rich, so seeking out various traditions and celebrations is deeply
rooted in my genes. Hence, I was all set to understand and unveil the
historical importance of this remarkable festival.
The Hemis Monastery was trailed by
multiple food, clothing, souvenirs and handicraft stores. People mustered to
the stalls like bees flock the flowers. Finally we reached the main entrance
after a walk of almost 1.5 kms which leads to the main courtyard of the
monastery. No wonder why this festival is known as “The Kumbh Mela of the
Himalayas”. There was hardly any place left to place my foot properly, however
I managed to do so. The visitors were a mix of locals and tourists. We learnt
that the locals came from nearby villages early morning to be a part of the
festival. The floor, stairs and balcony were stuffed with visitors,
spiritualists, ministers and media people. One can find visitors from America,
Russia, Korea, Poland and various parts of India too. Generally, people go for
pre-bookings, 3 months approx. and reserve their seats accordingly,to be a part
of the celebration.
|
The main shrine, head monk sitting reciting hymns |
The moment I enter the monastery, I
happened to see the two storey high silk Thangka (sacred painting) of Padmasambhava.
This property, which has a high spiritual importance, was displayed for public
view for a few hours, basically between 4 A.M and 09:30 A.M. Glad that I was a part
of this festival. During this year, 2016, it was held in 14th and 15th
July. Hemis festival can be witnessed every year.However, the silk Thangka can
only be seen once in twelve years and this year was of one of them.
|
The main gate |
|
The thangka |
|
The shrine |
|
Disciples sitting in a row |
The two-day festival marks the
celebration of the victory of good over evil. A festival which gives a way to
mingle with the locals, understand and taste their culture.The festival was
commenced by blowing two long tail horns by two “Chhams” (lamas of the
monastery) and displaying the portrait of Gyalwang Drukpa- head of drukpa
lineage, one of the schools of Vajrayana Budhhism. Followed by this,was the
performance of masked monks.
|
Gyalwang Drukpa- head of drukpa lineage |
|
The Monks from different parts of the world |
The masks either depicted an evil force or
demonstrated the Divine. The whole performance was of a typical representation
of a spiritual story in dance drama form which exhibited how the protectors or
the guardians protect the sentient beings from the evil. The monks rehearsed
for a long time to perform for this big day. They danced in a unique beat;
movements are typically slow and uniform. All the monks represent specific
deity with cymbals and drums in their hands. Few were seen holding a garland of
skulls along their chests demonstrating evil. The masked monks dance around the
centrally located pole situated in the middle of the courtyard. The monks were
in vibrant and colourful attires with dazzling brocades.
|
Commencement of the event by blowing the horns |
|
The Evil and demons |
|
The protector |
|
The Guardian |
|
The Guardian |
|
The messengers of God |
Multiple performances were presented by the masked monks in order to show the spread of
positivity before the arrival of Guru Padmasambhava along with Budhha Shakyamuni
.The Divine arrived with their disciples in order to bless the beings. They go
round the courtyard and sit facing the public. In front of them were seated the
disciples who were given money which was also a part of the ritual. The
festival came to an end after few marvelous performances.
|
Buddha Shakyamuni |
|
A man holding an umbrella for Guru Padmasambhava |
We then headed to the main temple
where a huge statue of Guru Padmasambhava and Buddha was situated. I felt holy
and pious from within. We traced the tracks from the main temple to the Hemis
museum where one can get all the information right from the monastery to the
festival. It was totally worth visiting.
|
Prayer Wheel |
|
Pilgrims around the world |
|
Visitors around the world |
|
A Pilgrim |
|
A pilgrim drinking butter tea |
|
Monks |
|
A religious face |
Like other holy places, this place
also offered us sacrament- butter tea. Please do not forget to take this as it
is said that it is not just a food but blessing of God. Like me, I am sure
visiting this place and being a part of the festival make you feel blessed and
fortunate too. So come along with your family and friends to enjoy the
extravaganza of this unique festival and be an active part of the Ladakhi
culture as you have to taste their culture to understand them.
|
The young monks serving butter tea |
|
Butter tea |