Religion and Culture

Religion and Culture:-

This is perhaps what keeps going an ordinary Ladakhi in most inhospitable conditions. At a place where the mercury plummets below zero degrees Celsius in winters and the rainfall during the year is as scant as 50 mm, one needs to be little more than fit to lead a healthy life. Buddhism is the way of life in Ladakh, though there are people of other faiths in Ladakh who live in harmony with each other. Since Ladakh is part of Jammu and Kashmir, 11 per cent of the population is Muslim here. No wonder then, the Buddhist monasteries dot the Ladakh landscape and are the center of attraction during the various fairs and festivals.

 

 

 

Life Style:-

Simplicity is the way of life in Ladakh, as the modernity has not touched the town as it has happened in other cities and towns of India. Cut-off from rest of the world, Ladakh is barren yet beautiful. Ladakh comes alive during the fairs and festivals as one can see Ladakhi people in their traditional dress. Ladakhis are the brave people who are industrious and cheerful. Perak, the headgear worn by traditional Ladakhi women is the striking feature of womenfolk of Ladakh. This is a common sight during the festivals. The other feature that is noticeable is the precious stones that adorn a woman's neck in Ladakh.

Archery and Polo :-

 

archery festivals are held during the summer months, with a lot of fun and fanfare. They are competitive events and all the surrounding villages send teams, and the shooting takes place according to strict etiquette, to the accompaniment of the music of Surna and daman (oboe and drum). Chang, the local barley beer, flows freely, but there is rarely any rowdiness. The men dress invariable in traditional dress, and the women wear their brightest brocade mantles and their heaviest jewellery. Archery may be the pretext for the gathering, but the party's thing.

Polo is traditional to the western Himalaya, especially to Baltistan and Gilgit. It was probably introduced into Ladakh in the mid 17th century by King Sengge Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. Unlike the international game, Polo in Ladakh is not exclusively for the rich. The game played here differs in many respect from the international game, which was adapted from what Britishers saw in the western Himalayas and Manipur in the 19th century.

 

Traditionally, almost every village had its polo-ground, and even today it is played in many places besides Leh, especially in Drass and Chushot, a big village close to Leh. In Leh, it has been partly institutionalized with regular tournaments and occasional exhibition matches being played on the polo-ground in the shadow of the palace


Oracles and Astrologers :-

The Ladakhis believe implicitly in the influence of gods and spirits on the material world, and undertake no major enterprise without taking this influence into consideration. The lamas are the vital intermediaries between the human and the spirit worlds. Not only do they perform the rites necessary topropitiate the gods - in private houses as well as in the gompa temples ; they also often take on the role of astrologers and oracles who can predict the auspicious time for starting any enterprise, whether ploughing the fields, or taking in the harves, arranging a marriage or going on a journey- and advise as to the auspicious way of going about it.

The most famous monk-oracles are those of Matho Gompa. Chosen every three years by a traditional procedure, two monks spend several months in a rigorous regimen of prayer and fasting to prepare and purify themselves for their arduous role. When the time comes they are possessed by the deity, whose spirit enables them to perform feats that would be impossible to anyone in a normal state such as cutting themselves with knives, or sprinting along the gompa's topmost parapet. In this condition, they will answer questions put to them concerning individual and public welfare. However, the spirit is said to be able to detect questions asked by sceptical observers with the intention of testing him, and to react with frenzied anger.

There are also in some villages lay people, men and women, who have special powers as oracles and healers. Some of them belong to families in which there have been several such receptacles of spirit forces. Others are diagnosed as such without any hereditary back ground. The spirits possessing these lay persons are believed to be capricious, and not always entirely benevolent, and some people resist being possessed by them. Once they have accepted, however, they undergo a process of initiation and training by monks and senior oracles, and only after this is completed may they start practising. The effectiveness of their spirit- healing is an article of faith with the Ladakhis.

Arts and Crafts :-

Most Art and crafts serve the need of the local people. More sophisticated articles were acquired through imports. Village of Chilling nearly 19Kms up the River of Zanskar River from Nima where a community of metal workers carry on their ancestral profession, working with silver, brass and copper. These are said to be the descendants of artisans brought from Nepal during the mid-17th century to build one of the gigantic Buddha - images at Shey. They produce exquisite items for domestic and religious use, such as tea and chang pots, teacup-stands and lids, hookah-bases, ladles, bowls and occasionally, silver chortens for temples and domestic shrines. Special items like pure pashmina shawls, rough compared with those produced in Srinagar, and carpets with Tibetan designs. Similar carpets can also be purchased at the Tibetan Refugee Centre, Choglamsar. The Handicrafts Centre also has a department of thangka painting.

In summer, in the shady regions by the Indus and in Nubra, wool is spun and winter blankets are woven. As soon as wintry weather arrives , the clicking of needles accompanies the gentle growl of the heating stove. The dress of the men, a long robe of cotton or wool, the goncha, is dark, but those of the women are veritable masterpieces in blue, red and gold. Embroidered dresses and the ceremonial headgear, the perak, cover the resplendent backs with hair covered with turquoise.

Ladakhi Handicraft:-

There is a wide variety of handicrafts available in Ladakh, ranging from pashmina shawls to Tibetan styled rugs and silver jewellery, to tangkhas, emphasizing the importance of Ladakh as an important centre of trade on the great silk route. 

Music & Dance

Ladakh has a rich heritage of folk dance. The dances are elaborate, colorful, and majestic, with mostly slow and gentle movements matched by the richly adorned perks (head dress), and music.

Among the folk dances are –
The Jabro Dance of the Changthang people performed during festive occasions. It is an integral part of Losar (Tibetan New Year), and the Jabro songs are sung to the accompaniment of the Damian, a guitar-like instrument, and the flute.

* The Tukhstanmo dance of Zanskar and Bakhamul area.

* The Spao dance, which is a warrior dance associated with the legendary figure Gesar.

* The Loshon Dance performed on the eve of the harvest festival at Shey village. The Shoudol dance, the only dance that involves backward steps.

* The Mentoq Stanmo dance, a flower dance and recitation of songs, of Deskit and Dha Hanu.

* The Shon dance, a legacy of the royalty of Ladakh. Originally a dance presented in honour of the kings of Ladakh, now without restriction.

* The Koshan dance of Leh, which is preceded by a horse race. One of the most important aspects of Ladakhi culture is the rich oral literature of songs and poems for each occasion.

Ladakhi Cuisine:-

Ladakh's Himalayan ecosystem has led to the development of a distinctive agricultural economy and lifestyle. Many of the local people of Ladakh practice farming and the produce of their fields is made into the delicious dishes of Ladakhi cuisine. Vegetables such as potatoes, pumpkins, beetroots, and beans are cooked in a variety of different ways and accompany meat dishes. Mutton and chicken are the commonly consumed types of meat in Ladakh. The staple food of Ladakhi people are Sku and Thukpa (made of wheat flour), Pava (made of sattu) and khambir (local bread).