Buddhist Mahakumbh at 12,000ft in July 2016

Ladakh to host two-day event at Hemis, the biggest monastery in the region

Buddhist Mahakumbh at 12,000 ft in JulyLadakh — the land of high passes — will host the two-day “Mahakumbh of the Himalayas” on July 14 and 15 this year. The event is expected to be attended by thousands of local and foreign visitors.
The “Mahakumbh” will be organised at Hemis, the biggest monastery in Ladakh. It will be an extended rendition of the annual Hemis festival observed at the monastery, marking celebration of the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava (8th century Buddhist master).
The Hemis monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Dugpa Kargyutpa order. It is located about 45 km south of Leh at an altitude of 12,000 feet.
The annual Hemis festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), venerated as the dance performance at the monastery. Locally, the annual Hemis festival is celebrated on the ninth and 10th days of the fifth month of the year.
The festival holds great religious significance for people of the Ladakh region this year as it coincides with 1,000 years of the Ladakh visit of Buddhist yogi Naropa (11th century saint).
“The Mahakumbh of the Himalayas is being celebrated after a gap of 12 years. The festival will be a holy and spiritual experience for visitors. We expect people from across the globe to converge on Leh to be a part of big ceremonies,” said a senior official of the Tourism Department in Leh.
The official said monks donning traditional silk costumes and masks would dance to the beats of instruments like drums and cymbals while religious teachings would remain a centre of attraction.
“The Hemis festival is an yearly event, but it assumes special importance this time around. Guru Padmasambhava is believed to have been born in the monkey year, which comes every 12 years, of the local Tibetan calendar,” the official said.
“This year also coincides with completion of 1,000 years of Naropa’s visit to Ladakh. Large silk embroidery, locally known as ‘thanka’, portraying Guru Padmasambhava, donning pearls and semi-precious stones, will be displayed along with an exhibition of Naropa’s ornaments on July 14,” he said.
Sonam Dawa Lonpo, Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC, said the major attraction during the festival would be the ceremony where Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the Dugpa Kargyutpa Order, would wear the six-bone ornaments belonging to Naropa.

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