Culture of Ladakh

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Cham dance during Dosmoche festival in Leh Palace Cham dance during Dosmoche festival in Leh Palace DSCN5692 1.jpg
Cham dance during Dosmoche festival in Leh Palace

The culture of Ladakh refers to the traditional customs, belief systems, and political systems that are followed by Ladakhi people in India. The languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs of the Ladakh region are similar to neighboring Tibet. Ladakhi is the traditional language of Ladakh. The popular dances in Ladakh include the khatok chenmo, cham, etc. The people of Ladakh also celebrate several festivals throughout the year, some of the most famous are Hemis Tsechu and Losar.

Contents

Background

View of Leh Viewofleh.jpg
View of Leh

Ladakh is the northmost part of India. Ladakh shares a border with Tibet to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the south, and Gilgit-Baltistan to the west. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range in the north to the Great Himalayas to the south. [1] Formerly, it was a part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, but after the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act (2019), it was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and was converted to a Union Territory. [2] Parts of Ladakh have been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. [3]

Ladakh incorporates parts of the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River valley. It is the only cold desert in India. [4] Its topography is barren and population sparse inhabited along the river banks of different valleys namely Indus, Nubra, Changthang, and Zanskar. [4] Women in Ladakh enjoy high status in comparison to rest of the nation, especially rural areas. [5] Ladakh's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs are similar to neighboring Tibet. [6]

Language


Ladakhi language Ladakhi.png
Ladakhi language

The Ladakhi language is a Tibetic language spoken in Ladakh, which is also called Bhoti or Bodhi. [7] As per the 2011 census, approximately 110,826 people speak Ladakhi. [8] Ladakhi has absorbed words from the silk route trade. [9] It is usually written using Tibetan script with the pronunciation of Ladakhi being much closer to written Classical Tibetan.

Music

The traditional music of Ladakh includes instruments like linyu (flute), damnyan (stringed instrument) pivang, khakong, (sitar) daph (dafli) daman, surna, and piwang (shehnai and drum). Chanting of mantras in Sanskrit and the Tibetan language plays an important role in Ladakhi music. [10] [11] Folk music is an integral part of Ladakh's culture. Music is often inspired by the surrounding physical features. [12] Morup Namgyal is an avid preservationist and during his 30-year career working at Ladakh's only radio station (All India Radio, Leh) he recorded a vast archive of Ladakhi folk songs. [13]

Dance

Jabro dance Jabro Dance Ladakh.jpg
Jabro dance

The popular dances in Ladakh include the Khatok Chenmo which is headed by a respectable family member, Shondol, [14] Some other dance forms include Kompa Tsum-tsakJabro Chaams : Chabs-Skyan TsesRaldi Tses and Alley Yaato. [15] The music of Ladakhi monastic festivals, like various forms of Tibetan music, often involves chanting as an integral part of the religion. Traditionally, 360 variants of dances existed in the early times, but today only a few are preserved. These chants are complex, often recitations of sacred texts and manuscripts or in celebration of different festivals. Some forms of dance narrate the story of the fight between good and evil, ending with the eventual victory of the former. [16]

Cuisine

Thukpa Thukpa, Manali, Himachal Pradesh.JPG
Thukpa

Ladakhi food is much common as Tibetan food, the most prominent dishes being thukpa, a type of noodle soup and tsampa , known in Ladakhi as ngampe, which is a type of roasted barley flour. Strictly Ladakhi dishes include skyu and chutagi, both heavy and rich soup pasta dishes, skyu being made with root vegetables and meat, and chutagi with leafy greens and vegetables. [17] As Ladakh tourism and modernization increased in Ladakh, foods from the plains of India are becoming more common. [18]

Festivals and events

Ladakh has several festivals throughout the year, including Hemis Tsechu and Losar. [19] 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. [20] 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. [21] Weaving is considered as an essential part of traditional life in eastern Ladakh. [22] Some festivals of Ladakh are:

Cultural centers

Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery 2012.jpg
Lamayuru monastery

Buddhist monasteries are often situated on an isolated hillock in the vicinity of villages. These monasteries provide the focus for the faith of the religious Buddhist people. [31] Some monasteries and cultural centers of Ladakh are:

Both Leh and Shey monasteries have carved Buddhas, mostly of the Maitreya. [32]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladakh</span> Region administered by India

Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India and China since 1959. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, and has been under Chinese control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leh</span> City in Indian-administered Ladakh, Kashmir region

Leh is a city in the Indian Union territory of Ladakh. It is the largest city and the joint capital of Ladakh. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh. The seat of the kingdom, Leh Palace, the former residence of the royal family of Ladakh, was built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace in Tibet. Since they were both constructed in a similar style and at roughly the same time, the Potala Palace in Tibet and Leh Palace, the royal residence, are frequently contrasted. Leh is at an altitude of 3,524 m (11,562 ft), and is connected via National Highway 1 to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via the Leh-Manali Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kargil district</span> District of Indian-administered Ladakh, Kashmir region

Kargil district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir-region. It is one of the two districts comprising the Indian-administered union territory of Ladakh. The district headquarters are in the city of Kargil. The district is bounded by the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the west, the Pakistani-administered administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan to the north, Ladakh's Leh district to the east, and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south. Encompassing three historical regions known as Purig, Dras and Zanskar, the district lies to the northeast of the Great Himalayas and encompasses the majority of the Zanskar Range. Its population inhabits the river valleys of the Dras, Suru, Wakha Rong, and Zanskar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemis National Park</span> National Park in Ladakh, India

Hemis National Park is a high-elevation national park in Ladakh, India. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world. It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals, including the snow leopard. Hemis National Park is India's protected area inside the Palearctic realm, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leh district</span> District of Ladakh, administered by India

Leh district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir-region. Ladakh is an Indian-administered union territory. With an area of 45,110 km2, it is the second largest district in the country, second only to Kutch. It is bounded on the north by Gilgit-Baltistan's Kharmang and Ghanche districts and Xinjiang's Kashgar Prefecture and Hotan Prefecture, to which it connects via the historic Karakoram Pass. Aksai Chin and Tibet are to the east, Kargil district to the west, and Lahul and Spiti to the south. The district headquarters is in Leh. It lies between 32 and 36 degree north latitude and 75 to 80 degree east longitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Ladakh</span>

Ladakh has a long history with evidence of human settlement from as back as 9000 b.c. It has been a crossroad of high Asia for thousands of years and has seen many cultures, empires and technologies born in its neighbours. As a result of these developments Ladakh has imported many traditions and culture from its neighbours and combining them all gave rise to a unique tradition and culture of its own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tingmosgang</span> Place in Ladakh, India

Tingmosgang is a fortress in Temisgam village, on the bank of the Indus River in Ladakh, in northwestern India. It is 92 km west of Leh, near Khalatse, and north of the present main road. The town has a palace and the monastery over a hillock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shey</span> Village in Ladakh, India

Shey is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Leh tehsil, 15 km from Leh towards Hemis. Shey was founded as the summer capital of Ladakh, by the king Lhachen Palgyigon in the 10th century, with Leh being winter capital. It was gradually eclipsed by Leh around the 17th century after the growth of Central Asian trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zorawar Singh (Dogra general)</span> Dogra general of the Sikh Empire (1784–1841)

Zorawar Singh was a military general of the Dogra Rajput ruler, Gulab Singh of Jammu. He served as the governor (wazir-e-wazarat) of Kishtwar and extended the territories of the kingdom by conquering Ladakh and Baltistan. He also boldly attempted the conquest of Western Tibet but was killed in battle of To-yo during the Dogra-Tibetan war. In reference to his legacy of conquests in the Himalaya Mountains including Ladakh, Tibet, Baltistan and Skardu as General and Wazir, Zorowar Singh has been referred to as the "Napoleon of India", and "Conqueror of Ladakh".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brokpa</span> Ethnic group in Ladakh

The Brokpa, sometimes referred to as Minaro, are a small ethnic group mostly found in the union territory of Ladakh, India around the villages of Dha and Hanu. Some of the community are also located across the Line of Control in Baltistan in the villages around Ganokh. They speak an Indo-Aryan language called Brokskat. The Brokpa are mostly Vajrayana Buddhist while some are Muslim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemis Monastery</span> Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Hemis, Ladakh, India

Hemis Monastery is a Himalayan Buddhist monastery (gompa) of the Drukpa Lineage, in Hemis on the bank of Indus river, Ladakh, India. Situated 45 km from Leh, it was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal. The annual Hemis festival honouring Padmasambhava is held there in early June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thikse Monastery</span> Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Leh, Ladakh, India

Thiksey Monastery or Thiksey Gompa is a Buddhist monastery affiliated with the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located on top of a hill in Thiksey approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Leh, in the Ladakh region of northern India. It is noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, and is the largest monastery in central Ladakh, notably containing a separate set of buildings for female renunciates that has been the source of significant recent building and reorganization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Likir Monastery</span>

Likir Monastery or Likir Gompa (Klud-kyil) is a Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, Northern India. It is located at 3700m elevation, approximately 52 kilometres (32 mi) west of Leh. It is picturesquely situated on a little hill in the valley, in Likir village near the Indus River about 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) north of the Srinigar to Leh highway. It belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism and was established in 1065 by Lama Duwang Chosje, at the command of the fifth king of Ladakh, Lhachen Gyalpo (Lha-chen-rgyal-po). It is off the Leh-Kargil Highway, 50 km west of Leh between Alchi & Basgo, 17 km west of Basgo Monastery & 21 km northeast of Alchi Monastery.

The Dogra–Tibetan war or Sino-Sikh war was fought from May 1841 to August 1842, between the forces of the Dogra nobleman Gulab Singh of Jammu, under the suzerainty of the Sikh Empire, and those of Tibet, under the protectorate of the Qing dynasty. Gulab Singh's commander was the able general Zorawar Singh Kahluria, who, after the conquest of Ladakh, attempted to extend its boundaries in order to control the trade routes into Ladakh. Zorawar Singh's campaign, suffering from the effects of inclement weather, suffered a defeat at Taklakot (Purang) and Singh was killed. The Tibetans then advanced on Ladakh. Gulab Singh sent reinforcements under the command of his nephew Jawahir Singh. A subsequent battle near Chushul in 1842 led to a Tibetan defeat. A treaty was signed in 1842 maintaining the status quo ante bellum.

Demchok , previously called New Demchok, and called Parigas by the Chinese, is a village and military encampment in the Indian-administered Demchok sector that is disputed between India and China. It is administered as part of the Nyoma tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh by India, and claimed by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Tangtse or Drangtse (Tibetan: བྲང་རྩེ, Wylie: brang rtse, THL: drang tsé) is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Durbuk tehsil. Traditionally, it was regarded as the border between the Nubra region to the north and the Pangong region to the south. It was a key halting place on the trade route between Turkestan and Tibet. It was also a site of wars between Ladakh and Tibet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galdan Namchot</span> Festival in Tebet, Nepal, and Mongolia

Galdan Namchot is a festival celebrated in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia and many regions of Himalaya, particularly in Ladakh, India. It is to commemorate the birth as well as parinirvana (death) and the Buddhahood of Je Tsongkhapa, a famous Scholar/teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Galdan Namchot also marks the beginning of the new year celebrations in Ladakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dosmoche</span>

Dosmoche is a Buddhist festival celebrated in Ladakh, India. It is celebrated in Leh, Likir and Diskit monasteries. It is the last festival of New Year Celebrations, the other one is Losar. The two-day Dosmoche festival is a gazetted holiday for Leh district and Zanskar Sub Division. Dosmoche is also known as the "Festival of Scapegoat" and is one of Ladakh's most popular prayer festivals. This festival is also celebrated to purify the town from evil spirits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demchok (historical village)</span> Historical village between Ladakh and Tibet

Demchok, was described by a British boundary commission in 1847 as a village lying on the border between the Kingdom of Ladakh and the Tibet. It was a "hamlet of half a dozen huts and tents", divided into two parts by a rivulet which formed the boundary between the two states. The rivulet, a tributary of the Indus River variously called the Demchok River, Charding Nullah, or the Lhari stream, was set as the boundary between Ladakh and Tibet in the 1684 Treaty of Tingmosgang. By 1904–05, the Tibetan side of the hamlet was said to have had 8 to 9 huts of zamindars (landholders), while the Ladakhi side had two. The area of the former Demchok now straddles the Line of Actual Control, the effective border of the People's Republic of China's Tibet Autonomous Region and the Republic of India's Ladakh Union Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Ladakh</span> Overview of and topical guide to Ladakh

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Ladakh:

References

  1. ↑ "Ladakh". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  2. ↑ "Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh become separate Union Territories from today: 10 points". Hindustan Times. 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  3. ↑ Jan·Osma鈔czyk, Edmund; Osmańczyk, Edmund Jan (2003), Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1191–, ISBN   978-0-415-93922-5 Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
  4. 1 2 "Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  5. ↑ "Women empowerment in Ladakh". Reachladakh. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  6. ↑ Jolden, Tsering; Tundup, Rinchen (2018). "Cultural Relationship between the People of Ladakh and Tibet". The Tibet Journal. 43 (2): 65–71. ISSN   0970-5368. JSTOR   26634918.
  7. ↑ Ladakhi language, The Himalayan Initiatives, retrieved 23 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  9. ↑ "Ladakhi Language & Phrasebook". Archived from the original on 2020-05-07. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  10. ↑ Kaul, H. N. (1998). Rediscovery of Ladakh. Indus Publishing. p. 159. ISBN   978-81-7387-086-6.
  11. ↑ "Masks: Reflections of Culture and Religion". Dolls of India. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 2006-08-21.
  12. ↑ "The dying art of folk music in Ladakh". Reachladakh. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  13. ↑ "Where The Mountains Meet The Sky: Folk Music of Ladakh". SublimeFrequencies. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  14. ↑ "Ladakhi Shondol dance makes it to Guinness book of records". The Tribune. 2019-09-22. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  15. ↑ Lowen, Sharon (2016-08-09). "Of Shon, Alley Yaato and Kud" . Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  16. ↑ "Masks: Reflections of Culture and Religion". Dolls of India. 12 January 2003. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2006.
  17. ↑ Motup, Sonam. "Food & Cuisine: 10 Best Dishes to Eat in Leh-Ladakh 🥄🥣". Archived from the original on 2020-05-07.
  18. ↑ Namgail, T.; Jensen, A.; Padmanabhan, S.; Desor, S.; Dolma, R. (2019). Dhontang: Food in Ladakh. Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Local Futures. pp. 1–44. ISBN   978-93-83802-15-9.
  19. ↑ "Festivals District Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh India" . Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  20. ↑ neeru (2017-10-12). "D'source Design Gallery on Leh Ladakh Music Instruments". D'Source. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  21. ↑ "Ladakh Culture | Arts, Culture & Life Style of Ladakhi People". tour-my-india. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  22. ↑ "Living Fabric: Weaving Among the Nomads of Ladakh Himalaya". Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2006.
  23. ↑ Deb, Soma; Sinha, B. (2001). Encyclopaedia of Fairs & Festivals in India: With Select Rituals, Vows, Holy Cities, Temples and Pilgrim Centers. Raj Publications. p. 88. ISBN   978-81-86208-14-4.
  24. ↑ ANI. "Ladakh Buddhist Association celebrates 'Losar' festival in Leh" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  25. ↑ "Phyang Monastic festival Tsesdup concludes" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  26. ↑ "Corona effect: Only Sindhis allowed for Sindhu Darshan Fest" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  27. ↑ "Leh, Likir Dosmoche begins" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  28. ↑ Trekking in the Indian Himalaya. Lonely Planet Publications. 2002. p. 264. ISBN   978-1-74059-085-3.
  29. ↑ "Tak - Tok Festival in Leh" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  30. ↑ "The quirky India travel plan: Where should you go next?" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  31. ↑ "Culture & Heritage | District Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh | India" . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  32. ↑ Cultural Heritage of Ladakh Himalaya, Prem Singh Jina, Kalpaz Publication, ISBN   9788178357454, pp 67–73
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