Hemis Tsechu Festival 2024 Commences in Ladakh

Tags: Festivals

Hemis Tsechu, or Hemis Festival, is celebrated annually in Ladakh.

An Overview of the News

• Hemis festival is celebrated annually in Ladakh on the 10th day of the Tse-Chu lunar month in the Tibetan calendar, commemorating the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava.

• Purpose: The festival commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, a revered Indian Buddhist mystic and the founder of Tibetan Buddhism.

Key Highlights of Hemis Festival 2024:

• Dates: Observed from June 16 to 17, 2024.

• Main Events: Central to the festival are mystic mask dances (Chams) and sacred plays performed by lamas.

• Mask Dances: Include elaborate performances such as the 13 Black Hat dancers, the Sixteen Brass mask dance, and representations of the eight manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava.

Historical Significance:

• Origin: Founded in the 17th century by Galras Rinpoche, the son of the King of Ladakh, Deskong Namgyal.

• Cultural Importance: The festival has been a cultural fixture, maintaining its traditions and rituals for centuries.

Conclusion of the Festival:

• Final Rituals: The festival concludes with monks gathering to worship Gyalpo Pehar (Dharmapala), the protector deity of Hemis Monastery.

Additional Information:-

• The Ambubachi Mela, a significant gathering in eastern India, is the principal festival of the Kamakhya temple in Assam, celebrated annually in June.

• On April 21, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 2550th Bhagwan Mahaveer Nirvan Mahotsav at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi, coinciding with Mahavir Jayanti.