Festivals and events
Ladakh has several festivals throughout the year, including Hemis Tsechu and Losar. Ladakh's festivals comprise mask dances performed by people, games such as camel races, river rafting and archery, regional music and dance performances, thangka exhibitions, etc. People of Ladakh also celebrate several festivals throughout the year, some of the most famous ones are Hemis Tsechu and Saka Dawa. A lot of their time is also spent in making stone jewellery, woolen clothes, and mural paintings on the walls of the monasteries. Weaving is considered as an essential part of traditional life in eastern Ladakh. Some festivals of Ladakh are:
Hemis Festival - Hemis Monastery has an annual festival named after it.
Losar - Losar, also known as Tibetan New Year, is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism.
Phyang Tsedup Festival - This festival is celebrated every fifth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar.
Sindhu Darshan Festival - It is held on every Guru Purnima on the banks of the Indus river.
Dosmoche - It is celebrated every 12th month of the Tibetan calendar every year.
Saka Dawa Festival.
Tak - Tok Festival - It is one of the major festivals of Ladakh. It is celebrated at cave Gompa of Tak- Tok.
Matho Nagrang Festival.
| Festival name | Location | Dates 2025 | Dates 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spituk Gustor | Spituk Monastery | 27-28 Jan | 16-17 Jan |
| Dosmochey | Leh, Likir, Diskit | 26-27 Feb | 15-16 Feb |
| Stok Guru Tsechu | Stok Palace | 08-09 Mar | 25-26 Feb |
| Matho Nagrang | Matho Monastery | 13-14 Mar | 02-03 Mar |
| Shey Doo Lhoo | Shey Monastery | 29 Mar | 18 Mar |
| Saka Dawa | All over Ladakh | 11 Jun | 31 May |
| Sindhu Darshan | near Shey village | xx-xx Jun | xx-xx Jun |
| Yuru Kabgyat | Lamayuru Monastery | 22-23 Jun | 13-14 Jun |
| Hemis Tsechu | Hemis Monastery | 05-06 Jul | 24-25 Jun |
| Shachukul Kabgyat | Shachukul Monastery | 12-13 Jul | 02-03 Jul |
| Stongde Gustor | Stongde Monastery | 12-13 Jul | 02-03 Jul |
| Phyang Tserup | Phyang Monastery | 22-23 Jul | 12-13 Jul |
| Karsha Gustor | Karsha Monastery | 22-23 Jul | 12-13 Jul |
| Korzok Gustor | Korzok Monastery | 27-28 Jul | 17-18 Jul |
| Takthok Tsechu | Takthok Monastery | 04-05 Aug | 24-25 Jul |
| Sani Naro Nasjal | Sani Monastery | 08-09 Aug | 28-29 Jul |
| Ladakh Festival | Leh town | 21-24 Sep | xx-xx Sep |
| Diskit Gustor | Diskit Monastery | 19-20 Oct | 08-09 Oct |
| Thiksey Gustor | Thiksey Monastery | 08-09 Nov | 28-29 Oct |
| Chemrey Wangchok | Chemrey Monastery | 18-19 Nov | 07-08 Nov |
| Galdan Namchot | All over Ladakh | 14 Dec | 03 Dec |
| Ladakhi Losar (New Year) | All over Ladakh | 20 Dec | 09 Dec |