The Ladakh festival, held every year from September 1 15, showcases the people, customs and traditions of this remote and beautiful land.
The Ladakh festival is a festival of people, their customs and traditions. Held in Leh from September 1 to 15 every year, the festival starts with a procession on the streets and brings together tribes from various villages. Dressed in finery, they gather on the streets of Leh to dance, sing and showcase their world to tourists.
The women and men come from all parts of Ladakh . You find them from Shey, Basgo, Nyoma, Dah, Hanu and several other villages around Nubra and Zanskar. Although communicating with them can be challenging, they are friendly and pose willingly for the camera.
The streets of Leh come alive with pageantry. There are performances galore. The tribes gather right in front of my guesthouse in Chubi, from where the procession begins. Drums, drama, mask dances and dramatic displays make the streets come alive.
Some women are seen wearing traditional turquoise hats called peraks. It is almost like a green room out there as performers get their costumes ready, tucking in their silver-studded jewelry and rehearsing their steps.
The tribes from Dah Hanu villages are distinctive. The men and women stand out from other Ladakhis both in appearance and cultural traits.
The women are said to be more fetching than the men. Fondly called the Flower people, these tribes could well have Alexanders soldiers among their ancestors. Another theory argues that they are possibly one of last remnants of pure Aryan race left in the world.
Women outnumber men everywhere. Everywhere you see them catching up with other performers, awaiting their turn to begin dancing and singing.
The performances begin on the streets of Leh. Young boys with colorful drums swirl and twirl as tourists and locals watch. The drama is not just on the streets of Leh. While the opening ceremony starts with the dances, the crowds gather on the grounds where you also see yaks and camels as part of the pageantry.
Another performance this time its a masked dance. Dressed in a furry outfit, these tribes perform in the hot sun in Leh.
Finally the king arrives, symbolically like a groom. There is an entire entourage with him soldiers, priests and locals. His crown is obviously a bit loose reminds me of the line uneasy lies the head that wears the crown!
The queen and bride are not far behind. They complete the procession as they parade through the streets of Leh to the ground to grace the festival and watch the performances.
The women and men come from all parts of Ladakh . You find them from Shey, Basgo, Nyoma, Dah, Hanu and several other villages around Nubra and Zanskar. Although communicating with them can be challenging, they are friendly and pose willingly for the camera.
The streets of Leh come alive with pageantry. There are performances galore. The tribes gather right in front of my guesthouse in Chubi, from where the procession begins. Drums, drama, mask dances and dramatic displays make the streets come alive.
Some women are seen wearing traditional turquoise hats called peraks. It is almost like a green room out there as performers get their costumes ready, tucking in their silver-studded jewelry and rehearsing their steps.
The tribes from Dah Hanu villages are distinctive. The men and women stand out from other Ladakhis both in appearance and cultural traits.
The women are said to be more fetching than the men. Fondly called the Flower people, these tribes could well have Alexanders soldiers among their ancestors. Another theory argues that they are possibly one of last remnants of pure Aryan race left in the world.
Women outnumber men everywhere. Everywhere you see them catching up with other performers, awaiting their turn to begin dancing and singing.
The performances begin on the streets of Leh. Young boys with colorful drums swirl and twirl as tourists and locals watch. The drama is not just on the streets of Leh. While the opening ceremony starts with the dances, the crowds gather on the grounds where you also see yaks and camels as part of the pageantry.
Another performance this time its a masked dance. Dressed in a furry outfit, these tribes perform in the hot sun in Leh.
Finally the king arrives, symbolically like a groom. There is an entire entourage with him soldiers, priests and locals. His crown is obviously a bit loose reminds me of the line uneasy lies the head that wears the crown!
The queen and bride are not far behind. They complete the procession as they parade through the streets of Leh to the ground to grace the festival and watch the performances.
ISMAIL CHOHAN
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