Excelsior Correspondent
Leh, Mar 1: The third Winter Hemis Festival was celebrated here with joy and fanfare.
This year the celebrations were special as it coincided with the birthday of His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the 1000-year-old Drukpa Order based in the Himalayas.
Over 80,000 people from various parts of India and overseas visited Ladakh for celebrations, despite the extreme temperatures.
The birthday celebrations of His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa started on February 17 and continued till February 22. The celebrations included public teaching on “The Skills of Living a Successful and Happy Life” and a guided meditation program on “Defining Wisdom”. Post this was the commencement of the Third Winter Hemis Festival, a weeklong celebration that started from February 23 to 28.
The Winter Hemis Festival sees the coming together of the followers and friends of the Drukpa Order who jointly pray for peace, happiness and harmony for all beings. The Festival includes joint prayers and Dharma dances to ward off obstacles and clear the path for a better year ahead. The locals usually celebrate by showcasing their rich culture along with the rhythmic sounds of cymbals, drums and trumpets, symbolizing the opening of Ladakh for tourism.
On the occasion, amidst thousands of devotees, a total of 1520 animals of different species (chickens, sheep, goats, cows, bulls and yaks which had been abandoned or waiting to be slaughtered) were rescued in what is a life release ceremony called as ‘Tsethar’ (a Buddhist practice of saving lives) and taken to Stray Animal Care and Management Centre managed by Young Drukpa Association (YDA) Ladakh with the blessings of His Holiness The Gyalwang Drukpa.
The Hemis Monastery is the seat of the Drukpa Order and one of the largest and most important Buddhist Monasteries in the world. The Winter Hemis Festival is a unique experience for people visiting Ladakh during this time of the year as the participants get a first-hand experience of spiritual devotion and determination. A huge crowd gathers in the open, prays and meditates together with one pointed motivation, wishing the world to be a better place; a sight that is spectacular to watch.
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