Open courtyards of the monasteries become the venue of these festivals where recitals, prayers, masked dances, folk songs are performed by monks in vibrant and colorful silk garments. This is the time when spirituality, entertainment, enjoyment become the very aura of Ladakh.
Chemday Wangchok Festival is celebrated in Chemrey Monastery, also known as Chemrey Gompa. It is located at a distance of about 44 kilometers from Leh, on the road from Leh to Pangong Tso. It was founded in 1664 by the Lama Tagsang Raschen and is dedicated to King Sengge Namgyal.
The monastery is best known for its large Padmasambhava statue. Chemday Wangchok Festival is also known as Chemrey Angchok festival is a 2 days affair and is celebrated here annually in the month of October or November.
A week before the festival, the monks go into meditation to purify them and attain peace. These monks then come out of meditation and perform the sacred Cham dance during the festival.
About Chemday Wangchok Festival of Ladakh
Chemday Wangchok is one of the festivals of Ladakh held in Chemrey Monastery, famous for its tall Guru Padmasambhava statue & valuable collection of scriptures. The festival is celebrated mostly by the Drukpa sects of Tibetan Buddhists.
Prior to a week before the festival, the monks meditate for a week to invite peace and harmony. Over the course of the next two days, the monks perform masked dances called Chhams along with other rituals and ceremonies.
The festival, like so many other festivals in Ladakh, signifies the victory of good over evil, and is marked by a Mandal Pooja on the second day.
Festival Dates/Months : The Chemday Wangchuk Festival is celebrated over a course of two days in the month of November.
Highlights of Yargon Tungshak Festival :The special highlight of the Chemday Wangchok Festival is the masked dance called Chhams which is performed by the