Fairs & Festivals

Purmandal Mela - The Shivratri Festivites
Purmandal is 39-km from Jammu city. On the day of Shivratri, the town is transformed for three days as people celebrate the marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati here. The people of Jammu also come out in their colourful best to celebrate Shivratri at peer Khoh, the Ranbireshwar temple and the Panjbhaktar temple.In fact, if one visits the Jammu region during Shivratri, one will find a celebration on almost everywhere.

Gustor Festival
The Gustor festival is celebrated at the Karsha Monastery each year, and like all festivals in Ladakh, it is associated with a special dance signifying the victory of Black Hat dancers over evil.

Gustor literally means "sacrifice of the 29th day". This festival is traditionally celebrated in monasteries of the reformist Geluk-pa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The two-day celebration ends with the dismemberment and dispersal of the storma (sacrificial cake) by the leader of the Black Hat dancers in a ceremony called Argham (killing). This symbolises the destruction of all forms of evil.

The assassination of the Tibetan apostate king Lang-dar-ma, by a Buddhist monk in the mid-9th century, is also enacted by the dancers. In some monasteries, an effigy symbolising the stronger forces of evil is burnt at the end of the festival. The masks worn by the dancers represent the guardian divinities of the Buddhist pantheon and the patron divinities of the Geluk-pa order.

Yuru Kabyagat
Once a year, the ancient Lamayaru Monastery (known locally as Yuru Gonpa) hosts a three-day festival of celebration and devotion. It's a chance to see a wonderful and ancient place of worship in action.
Yuru Gonpa belongs to the Drikungpa branch of the Kagyudpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The Drikungpa School is named after the monastery of Drikung in Tibet, which was founded by Skyoba Jigten Gonpo (1143-1212). This order traces its origin backs to two Indian Tantric masters, Tilopa and his disciple Naropa.

It is said that once the whole valley was under water when Nimagon, a holy man, prayed "May a monastery be founded in this place". He made water offerings to the Naga Serpent Spirits, and the lake's water drained out. The grains of corn offered to the water spirits mysteriously grew into the shape of a Yung-dung (Swastika). When a monastery was later founded here, it was called Yung-dung Gonpa.

Nowadays the monastery is suffering from lack of funds. Visitors provide welcome donations to go toward repairs and living expenses of the 200 lamas.

Hemis Festival
Hemis Gompa, one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Ladakh (Leh), bursts into colourful life on Guru Padmasambhava's birthday. This annual two-day Buddhist festival is celebrated in splendid style in most monasteries throughout the subcontinent of India.

The event honours both the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava (who is responsible for introducing Buddhism to Nepal) and the ancient victory of Lamaism over Shamanism and other religious practices.

In Sikkim, the festival is observed for three days from the tenth day of DawaNapha, while in Ladakh, it is from the tenth day of DawaDunpha, so be aware that the exact dates will differ depending on where you are in the subcontinent. Wherever you are, however, the message of the festival is the same - symbolising the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and virtue over vice.

Monasteries tend to go to town when celebrating this important event, and the celebrations at the Hemis Gompa, the biggest, wealthiest and one of the most important monasteries in the Buddhist world (long associated with the Ladakhi royal family), are particularly memorable.

The event revolves around a lavish and extended pantomime, initiated by a solemn parade of (mock) pre-lamaism priests, clad in rich robes of china silk and brocade (and odd tall tufted hats). Various stories are told - the essence being the fight of evil with good and the arrival of Buddhism to Ladakh. Sunset and sunrise are the best times to see all the colour against the stunning backdrop of mountains. If wearing strange clothes isn't enough, these pantomimers then perform an endless dance to a cacophony of brass trumpets, cymbals and drums. Be prepared for serious noise for this quasi-Bollywood affair!

Lohri
This festival is also known as Makar Sankranti. It heralds the onset of spring. The whole of Jammu region wears a festive look on this day. Thousands take a dip in the holy rivers. 'Havan Yagnas' light up nearly every house and temple in Jammu. In the rural areas, custom requires boys to go around asking for gifts from newly-weds and new parents.

A special dance called the 'Chajja' dance is held on the occasion of Lohri. It makes a striking picture to see boys along with their 'Chajjas' elaborately decorated with coloured paper and flowers move on the street in a dancing procession. The whole atmosphere comes alive with the pulsating drum beats.

Baisakhi is also known as the harvest festival and is considered auspicious especially for marriages. Rivers, canals and ponds are thronged by devotees who unfailingly take a ritual dip every year. Many people go to the Nagbani Temple to witness a grand new year celebration.

Numerous fairs are organised and people come in thousands to celebrate the beginning of the new year and watch the famous Bhangra dance of Punjab. For the Sikhs of Jammu, Baisakhi is the day their tenth Guru Gobind Singhji formed the Khalsa sect in 1699. The Gurudwaras are full of people who come to listen to Kirtans, offer prayers and feast on the prasad from the common kitchen (Langar).

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