Ladakh is a land of high passes, a resting point for travelers on the ancient trade routes to Central Asia and beyond. This is a buddhist land having greater cultural similarities to Tibet than the lowlands of the south. Many villages have a Gompa or monastery, a complex of temples and prayer halls. The mural paintings in the monasteries, decorate the walls with images symbolizing various aspects of Buddhism. Buddhism reached Tibet from India via Ladakh. We do not know when Buddhism was introduced into Ladakh.
Stories based on the life of the Buddha are the main theme of the traditional theatre. Drama is an essential part of the Ladakhi heritage, as are the Gompas which are an important part of the lives of people living here. These Gompas serve as places of worship, meditation and as schools.
Some of the most famous fairs and festivals are celebrated around these Gompas. Losar is celebrated as their new year. Shey Shrupla is celebrated to mark the bringing home of the harvest. Hemis Chheshu is the biggest summer festival held in Ladakh.
The festival symbolizes the victory of right over wrong, good over evil. Many of the annual festivals of the Gompas take place in winter. These take the form of dance drama. Lamas, dressed in colorful robes and wearing masks, perform here. Cham, the sacred masked dance is performed on these occasions by monks dressed in brocade robes and masks. Long horns are blown with cymbals. People come from near and far to see these events.
Archery is an ancient sport of Ladakh. It is in fact a part of the culture. In Leh and its surrounding villages, archery festivals are held during the summer months. Polo, a game played here, differs in many respects from the international game of Polo. Traditionally, almost every major village had a polo-ground. Even today, the game is played in many places besides Leh, especially in Dras and Chusot, near Leh.
Ladakh has very limited sources of water. A community of metal workers still follow their ancestral profession, working with silver, brass and copper. Items of daily use such as cooking pots and bowls, as well as agricultural implements are supplied by the local blacksmiths. Since products made from fresh milk are important and necessary, each family owns some goats, cows and dzos (Yak-cow). Sheep are important in Ladakh because they produce pashmina wool. The wool is sold to traders from Kashmir.
Ladakh is also home to some rare animals and plant species. These include the mountain goat (Ibex), the Snow Leopard, Brans Drong (wild yak), Kyang (wild horse), Nyan (large horned sheep), Musk Deer and the Tibetan Antelope.
The best time to visit Ladakh is in summers when you can enjoy the natural beauty and the different cultural events here. It has also become a very popular destination for the newly weds. Kashmir offers a variety of honeymoon destinations among which Ladakh is becoming the most popular and the most loved destination because of its calm and spell bound natural beauty. It feels like heaven when you step on this land.
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