The festival is celebrated by the people especially by the Buddhist community in India. The celebration of the festival involves the grand organization of the Hemis Fair to commemorate the birth of Guru Padmasambhava or Guru Rimpoche believed to be the incarnation of Lord Buddha. The festival of Hemis Gompa is celebrated for two days from the 9th to 11th of the 5th Tibetan month according to their calendar. The festival is marked at the biggest Buddhist monstery known as Hemis Gompa. The monastery is also popularly known as Chang Chub Sam Ling literally meaning the lone palace of the compassionate or the kind person.
Historical Antecedents
The festival is celebrated in order to mark the birthday of of the 12th Rimpoche who is the chief spiritual head of the Hemis monastery and of the drupka kargyud lineage. The day was predicted as the birthday by Sakya Muni Buddha himself. Guru Rimpoche was the one credited for speading Buddhism in Tibet and spreading love and spiritual harmony among all the people. The Hemis Gompa was founded around 350 years ago by Stahtsangh Rinchen. He was invited by the king Singe Namgyal in Ladakh where it was built on the basis of Tibetan Architecture. For the royalty favouring the Drupka sect, which managed the monastery, it flourished in the reign of Namgyal Dynasty. With Buddhism practiced at the Hemis and due to the Drupka school of Tibetan Buddhism, the building belonged to the Drupka order.
Celebrations
The Hemis Gompa fair held for nearly two complete days is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. Devotees from different parts of the country and also from aboard come to visit this grand celebration and gather in the courtyard of Hemis Gompa. Traditional music using the sounds of drums, cymbals and long horns are played as the main festivities of the fair. People show respect and pay homage to the sacred portrait of Guru Rimpoche. The celebration is accompanied with the display of colorful masked dance performance. Beautiful handcrafts are also put for display in the fair held. Devotees generally donate money to the kitchen of the Gompa. The Hemis Gompa is festival of celebration for not only the Buddhists but also for other people across the world.
Related posts: