Hemis is a town located in the Himalayan region of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which annually celebrates the birth of Guru Rinpoche / Lord Padmasambhava (Lotus-born). He was born in present day Pakistan in the semi-legendary Buddhist land - Oddiyan. As an Enlightened Master of the Tantric Path, he brought the Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan. His character is immortalized in many artworks, sculptures and paintings.
The festival in honor of Guru is the largest of all Tibetan festivals taking place in the Ladakh region. During the festival, the Lamas (Tibetan clergy) are transformed into gods and demons, and with the help of inconsistent sounds of drums, trumpets and other instruments, displace evil spirits. They perform a mask dance called Chham.
The event takes place at the Hemis monastery, built by Sengge Namgyal, King Ladak in 1672.
It's hard to find another such mystical, unreal place in India. Views of Buddhist monasteries in the hills, countless stupas (Buddhist reliquary) and the snow-capped tops of the Himalayas. Raw structures in the middle of raw mountains, vast spaces, enigmatic paintings and monks walking around in traditional costumes.
I found a hotel at the Main Bazaar, a wide, extending square filled with shops selling local products, clothes, souvenirs, restaurants and other hotels decorated in a Tibetan pattern. The first thing that strikes the eye is the great 16th-century palace of Leh, also constructed by King Sengge. The palace was built on the model of the Tibetan Potala palace, the seat of Dalai Lama.
The multitude and diversity of figures passed on the streets has been fascinating even for India. Muslims, Indians, Jews, Catholics, and, of course, Buddhists, all living in symbiosis. Most of the older natives held a prayer wheel in their hands, which works as a spinning device for prayers. The faster we spin, the more sacred lines we are sending. In the past, even dogs were used to spin large praying wheels, which are still an important element of Buddhist faith
The next day, looking for a bus to Hemis, I managed to catch the lift. I grab a ride with ladies inside who were going there as well. A large monastery surrounded by mountains and farm fields emerged.
The place was full of people, also of tourists or rather reporters with cameras. The tribunes looked like a big burgundy stain, filled with monks. I settled as close as possible to the square, among the local ladies, who after a while began to treat us with tea with butter, which they put inside the drink with a finger.
I didn't sit for too long, I tried to get to the room where the prayers were taking place, but only the followers of Buddhism had access there. Actually, some English guy managed to get inside arrogantly and clicked a few photos, but I do not support such behavior.
After long anticipation, instruments began to sound; dangerous trumpets, whistles of percussive plates, bells. Colorful figures began to emerge one after another and perform a dance unreasonable for us. Gods and Demons, warriors, imps and fairytale faces having performed the esoteric dance withdrew into the monastery to make space for another group.
The mosaic of colors and sounds was a feast for the senses while, at the same time, striking fear into your heart. The signs of the times also touched such an isolated place as the town of Hemis. Stalls with plastic crap for sale attacked us upon arrival, Buddhists walked in Nike shoes, and were using cell phones. Nothing wrong with that, but the image of a monk immune to civilization, impressed in my head for many years, has changed.
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