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Many
of the annual festivals of the gompas take place in winter, a relatively
idle time for the majority of the people. They take the form of
dance-dramas in the gompa courtyards. Lamas, robed in colourful
garments and wearing often startlingly frightful masks, performs
mimes representing various aspects of the religion such as the progress
of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good
over evil. Local people flock from near and far to these events,
and the spiritual benefits they get are no doubt heightened by their
enjoyment of the party atmosphere, with crowds of women and men,
the opportunity to make new friendships and renew old ones, the
general bustle and sense of occasion.The religious philosophy of
Buddhism, however, profound and subtle doesn't preclude an immense
joie-de-vivre among its Ladakhi adhe-rents,a nd even solemn religious
enactments are made the occasion for joyous celebration.
The biggest and most famous of the monastic festivals, frequented
by tourists and local alike, is that of Hemis, which falls in late
June or the first half of July, and is dedicated to Padmasambhava.
Every 12 years, the gompa's greatest treasure, a huge thangka -
a religious icon painted or embroidered on cloth - is ritually exhibited.
The next unveiling is due to take place in A.D. 2004. Other monasteries
which have summer festivals are Lamayuru (also early July), Phiyang
(late July or early August), Tak-thok (about ten days afer Phiyang)
and Karsha in Zanskar (11 days after Phiyang). Like Hemis, the Phiyang
festival too involves the exhibition of gigantic thangka, though
here it is done every year.
Spituk,
stok, thikse, chemrey and Matho all have their festivals in winter,
between November and March. Likir and Deskit (Nubra )time their
festivals to coincide with Dosmoche, the festival of the scapegoat,
which is also celebrated with fervour at Leh. Falling in the second
half of February, Dosmoche is one of two New Year festivals, the
other being Losar. At Dosmoche, a great wooden mast decorated with
streamers and religious emblems is et up outside Leh. At the appointed
time, offerings of storma, ritual figures moulded out of dough,
are brought out and ceremonially cast away into the desert, or burnt.
These scapegoats carry away with them the evil spirits of the old
year, and thus the town is cleansed and made ready to welcome the
new year.
Losar falls about the time of the winter solstice, any time between
8th and 30th December. All Ladakhi Buddhists celebrate it by making
offerings to the gods, both in gompas and in their domestic shrines.
Many
of the annual festivals of the gompas take place in winter, a relatively
idle time for the majority of the people. They take the form of
dance-dramas in the gompa courtyards. Lamas, robed in colourful
garments and wearing often startlingly frightful masks, performs
mimes representing various aspects of the religion such as the progress
of the individual soul and its purification or the triumph of good
over evil. Local people flock from near and far to these events,
and the spiritual benefits they get are no doubt heightened by their
enjoyment of the party atmosphere, with crowds of women and men,
the opportunity to make new friendships and renew old ones, the
general bustle and sense of occasion.The religious philosophy of
Buddhism, however, profound and subtle doesn't preclude an immense
joie-de-vivre among its Ladakhi adhe-rents,a nd even solemn religious
enactments are made the occasion for joyous celebration. 
Spituk,
stok, thikse, chemrey and Matho all have their festivals in winter,
between November and March. Likir and Deskit (Nubra )time their
festivals to coincide with Dosmoche, the festival of the scapegoat,
which is also celebrated with fervour at Leh. Falling in the second
half of February, Dosmoche is one of two New Year festivals, the
other being Losar. At Dosmoche, a great wooden mast decorated with
streamers and religious emblems is et up outside Leh. At the appointed
time, offerings of storma, ritual figures moulded out of dough,
are brought out and ceremonially cast away into the desert, or burnt.
These scapegoats carry away with them the evil spirits of the old
year, and thus the town is cleansed and made ready to welcome the
new year. 
