It
is difficult to establish when Buddhism was introduced into Ladakh. It is
however definite that its first influence was under the reign of the Emperor
Ashok. The true representative of the ancient practices and artistic
traditions of Buddhism, dating back to over a thousand years are the
monasteries. These Ladakhi monasteries are excellent examples of Tibetan
architecture and impart the special impression of living a moment of
eternity to all its visitors.Many of the annual festivals of the monasteries take place in winter, a relatively idle time for the majority of the people. These festivals are a colorful events that take the form of dance-dramas in the Gompa courtyards. Lamas, robed in colorful garments and wearing often startlingly frightful masks, perform mimes representing various aspects of the religion such as the progress of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good over evil.
Everyone is invited to participate in these festivals, irrespective of caste, status or religion. Local people flock from near and far to these events, and the spiritual benefits they get are no doubt heightened by their enjoyments.
Some of the major festivals of Ladakh are hemis festival, gu-stor, losar, phyang tsedup, sindhu darshan festival, matho nagrang, monastic festivals, stok guru tse-chu, dosmoche, yuru kabgyat, galdan namchot. All Ladhaki Buddhists celebrate these festivals by making offerings to the gods, both in the gompas and in their domestic shrines.
