What comes to mind when someone mentions a trip to Ladakh to you?
Barring the adrenaline pump you just experienced right now?
it sure does make one feel that travelling is incomplete,
without a visit to this gem of a place in the northernmost part of our country.
Be it the scenic beauty,
the tempting opportunity of a possible bike-ride along the rocky terrains,
the soulful ambience offered by the various monasteries or the beautiful picturesque valleys
The local people with their colourful lifestyle,
Leh-Ladakh is a complete packaged tour for any kind of traveller.
So you must be when is the best time to plan a journey to Ladakh.
While some may say winter is the best,
when there’s abundant snow and a true-blue experience of a trip to a mountain valley,
some others might say rains in the valleys of Leh should not be missed.
However we believe,
travelling not only comprises of the places you go to but also the people you meet and come across.
A place is made of the people who reside there,
the locals with their own particular blend of beliefs and culture which makes the journey all the more enriching.
so on that note we focus on July,
or even more specifically,
21st – 22nd July during which the Karsha Gustor festival,
also known as Spitok Gutor Zanskar Festival,
takes place at the Karsha monastery in Zanskar.
The word Karsha means action and activity or star and destiny.
In that spirit,
this festival too acknowledges the victory of good over evil.
The celebration of the same is the biggest highlight of the event.
The Karsha monastery or Karsha Gompa,
as it is locally known,
is home to around 100 lamas,
and is the largest one in Zanskar in terms of resident monks.
Celebrating with dances
Along with Karsha monastery,
the celebrations also take place in places like Spitok and Thiksay with masked dances.
That are an integral part of Buddhist festivals,
which find mentions in ancient Buddhist scriptures.
In the Karsha Gustor Festival,
the joyful celebrations culminate after two joyful days of dancing with the cutting of the sacrificial cake,
a part known as Storma,
and a performance of the Black Hat Dance.
What is the Black Hat Dance?
The dance re-enacts the assassination of the Tibetan renegade king,
Lang-dar-ma,
by a Buddhist monk.
The king was said to be a traitor who lived in the mid 9th century and caused a lot of havoc and loss to the state.
The burning of effigies at the end of the festival shows the soul of this celebration
That is to remove all sorts of evil forces from one’s life and it is performed by the monks.
The Geluk-pa order where the dancers symbolize the guardians of divinity,
also known as Dharmapala.
Experience Ladakh through its people
It’s a beautiful sight to watch the monks in their typical red robes and yellow hats.
Gather in the courtyard of the monastery,
people from the villages down below arriving in their best clothes and highest spirits making it the best time to observe.
The culture of the people of Leh and Ladakh from close quarters and be a participant too.
There’s a reason they say travelling broadens minds.
It exposes you to all kinds of people,
different ways of living,
and giving various perspectives of looking at life.
So block your calendar in the month of July next year,
and book a trip to Ladakh!
Don’t want to wait till July?
Connect with us for more Leh-Ladakh trip options!
connect@trippintraveller.com
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