Dosmoche Festival Festival

About Dosmoche Festival of Ladakh

The Dosmoche Festival is celebrated in Ladakh, just below the Leh Palace. Also known as the “Festival of Scapegoat,” it is one of the most famous prayer festivals in Ladakh.

During the festival, monks from different monasteries gather at the courtyard of the Leh Palace to perform the masked dances, called Chhams. It signifies the victory of good over evil.

The festival commences with the setting up of large wooden masts decorated with sacred emblems, streamers & flags. Lamas from Takthok Monastery who are renowned for their proficiency in tantric practices and astrology, weave intricate thread cross to capture the evil spirits.

The Lamas continue to weave the crosses while chanting the sacred mantras,a practice known as Chams. The famous masked dances are performed just below the Leh Palace, and are completed with the burning of ritual offerings.

This ritual symbolises the elimination of all evil spirits. The local people also believe that celebrating this festival protects them from all kinds of natural disasters. Every ritual is performed according to a particular timings.

All throughout the festival, you can hear the sounds of the gyaling (a particular kind of musical instrument used mainly in Tibet) and cymbals. During this time, stalls are set up by shopkeepers in the Leh Bazaar, while people, clad in their colourful traditional dress, play games like tambola, shopping & lotteries.

Festival Dates/Months :

The Dosmoche Festival is celebrated in the month of February every year, for a period of two days. The dates of the festival vary every year.

Highlights of Yargon Tungshak Festival :

The major highlight of the Dosmoche Festival is indeed, the masked dances. The Black Hat Dancers, clad in colorful clothes, are quite a delightful sight. The rituals are also quite interesting, as are the preparations leading to the festival. The festival also attracts tourists and photographs from all over the world.