Hemis Festival in Ladakh is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the Tse-Chu, Lunar month of the Tibetan Calendar. The 2-day fiesta marks the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. On this day, Hemis Monastery is adorned beautifully to host the ceremony. The colorful festival showcases the beautiful handicrafts of the area. Natives also dress up in lovely traditional attires and gather in the courtyard of Hemis Monastery, the biggest Buddhist Monastery of Ladakh. Lamas dance around the central flagpole to the tunes of drums, cymbals, and long horns. The otherwise cold-barren desert comes to life during the Hemis Festival.
Hemis Monastery Festival begins with the followers seeking blessings of a portrait of the Guru early morning and musicians playing music while the ceremony is going on. But what makes the festival most attractive is the masked dance performance called Cham. It is a slow dance and depicts the war between good and evil wherein the good wins! The sight is jaw-dropping as the colorfully dressed Lamas bring enthusiasm in the whole crowd.
Apart from that, there is a fair where you can buy Tibetan souvenirs and the festival is the best time to see the people dressed up in their best traditional attires. Totally, a sight to behold!
Besides being celebrated as the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, the Hemis Festival marks the victory of good over the evil.