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.
