VISIT LADAKH —» Culture of Ladakh

Culture of Ladakh

1) People of Ladakh
The 200,000 strong population of Ladakh is a result of the blending of many different races, in particular the Tibetans and the Dards.

The looks and the way of life of both the Ladakhis of central Ladakh and, perhaps even more so, the Zanskaris, reflect a strong influence from central Tibet. Moving west, this influence diminishes and is replaced by that of the Dards. The one exception to this is the Baltis who live around Kargil and the Suru Valley. They have Tibetan origins, speak a language that has Tibetan links and were once Buddhists, though today they are devout Shiite Muslims.

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2) Festivals of Ladakh
The religious philosophy of Buddhism, however, profound and subtle doesn't preclude an immense joie-de-vivre among its Ladakhi adhe-rents,a nd even solemn religious enactments are made the occasion for joyous celebration.

There are many interesting and colorful festivals that are held in Ladakh, mostly at Monasteries. Every summer in July, a large festival is held at the Ladakhi home of the 14th Dalai Lama in celebration of his birthday. He sometimes attends this celebration. The Hemis Tse Chu Festival is another one that draws large crowds.

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3) Religion of Ladakh
Ladakh is one of the few places where you can see this branch of Mahayana Buddhism, sometimes also called Lamaism, being practised as it would have been in Tibet before the brutal Chinese suppression. Buddhism has penneated Ladakhi and Tibetan culture since the 7th century AD.

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4) Education in Ladakh
The long-term outlook is a little more promising. In 1993 the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) launched 'Operation New Hope', a campaign to provide 'culturally appropriate and locally relevant education' by a number of means which include producing Ladakhi textbooks, adopting one language for the teaching of maths and science at all ages, and the regular training of teachers. A government degree college has been opened in Leh, thus providing further education students with the option of staying in Ladakh, rather than having to move to Delhi or Kashmir.

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Culture of Ladakh Peoples of Ladakh :: Festivals of Ladakh :: Religion of Ladakh :: Education in Ladakh