Hemis Gompa Fair

Hemis Gompa festival celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibet Tantric Buddhism in Hemis, Ladakh. It is an important festival of the Buddhist community. The fair is organized on the 9th and 10th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar. The major attraction of the festival is witnessed at Hemis Gompa, the largest Buddhist monastery, located in Ladakh, Jammu-Kashmir where a large fair is organized. The two-day Hemis Festival is celebrated with great zeal and devotion. People assemble at the beautiful monastery of Hemis Gompa to witness the colourful celebrations of the festival.

Why Celebrate the Hemis Festival in Ladakh?
One of the biggest and most important festivals of Ladakh- Hemis Festival is celebrated annually to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. He was the one who is revered to be the incarnation of Lord Buddha. This two-day festival carries forwards the legacy of the culture of Ladakh and serves as a celebration of the win of good over evil. The origin of the Hemis Festival can be traced to the 8th century and celebrates the existence of a significant spiritual figure in Tibetan history - Guru Padmasambhava.

There are multiple other legends associated with the Hemis Festival and they state that the spiritual leader Guru Padmasambhava drove out the demon and evil spirits from Ladakh during the 8th century.

On this day, Hemis Monastery is adorned beautifully to host the ceremony. The colorful festival showcases the beautiful handicrafts of the area. Natives also dress up in lovely traditional attires and gather in the courtyard of Hemis Monastery, the biggest Buddhist Monastery of Ladakh.