Ladakh is currently celebrating two of its major monastic festivals, the Dosmochey Festival in Leh and the Stromochey Festival at Likir Monastery. The Dosmochey and Stromochey festivals take place during the closing days of an extended and difficult winter season. Both festivals are grounded in Buddhist traditions and symbolize cleansing the negative energy and mishaps that have occurred throughout winter.
Dosmochey: The Festival of the Scapegoat
Leh Palace hosts the Dosmochey Festival, commonly referred to as the ‘Festival of the Scapegoat.’ It is supported by various monasteries, including Likir and Diskit. The festival consists of several complex rituals conducted by Buddhist monks. One of the main activities during the festival includes creating ritual offerings in the form of dough effigies and thread crosses. Negative energies and malevolent entities are captured in these items. The last day of existence for them is when they are ceremonially destroyed/burned. That is how the Buddhists remove negativity and bringing in positive energies.
Cham dances by monks combine spiritual, artistic, and theatrical forms. In these performances, the battle between good and evil is depicted through movements. The event is spiritually charged with performer chants, cultural/folk music, and the colorful clothing of devotees who wish to receive blessings from the dancers.
The Stromochey Festival occurs annually at Likir Monastery which has an ancient history and beautiful surroundings. The main attraction of the festival is the colourful Cham dances performed by monks who wear spectacular costumes representing characters and animals from the Likir region and the Buddhist religion.
The dances are representative of good overcoming evil, and help to chase away evil spirits. The performances are complemented by the use of rhythmic music and sacred chanting. The overall effect of these performances is an elevated spiritual experience, which many people find enthralling.
Dosmochey and Stromochey festivals mark the concluding of winter and usher in the potential for better times and abundance in Ladakh. These two festivals preserve ancient customs, bring together people from their shared community, and honour their spiritual and cultural rich past.
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