Dosmoche

Dosmoche is a festival celebrated in Ladakh, India. It is celebrated in Leh, Likir and Diskit monasteries.[1] It is the last festival of New Year Celebrations, other one is Losar.[2][3] The two-day Dosmoche festival is a gazetted holiday for Leh district and Zanskar Sub Division.[1] Dosmoche is also known as the "Festival of Scapegoat" [2] and is one of Ladakh's most popular prayer festivals.

Dosmoche/ Dosmochhey
Cham dance during Dosmoche festival 2018 in Leh Palace
Observed by	Buddhists
Type	Religious festival New year Commemoration
Significance	being celebrated for peace and prosperity in the coming Ladakhi new year
Begins	February
Ends	February
Date	28th and 29th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar every year
2020 date	21–22 February
Frequency	Annual

History

Dosmoche was started by the rulers of Ladakh.[4] The festival was started during kingdom of King Lhachen Gongdup/ Lha-chen-Dnos-grub (1295–1320).[5][4] He fought two battles with invaders from Nyungti (Kullu of Himachal Pradesh) to inhibit the exterminatory forces of the battles.[4] Sacred mask dances which is known as Cham dance are carried out in the courtyard of the old chapel. It is below the gates of the Leh Palace.[6] Lamas are drawn from different monasteries from across Ladakh on a rotation basis for this festival.

Celebrations

High pitched sound of gyaling with the periodic sound of the cymbals echoed off the bare rocky slopes with the rhythmic beats of the drum.[4] Monks looks attractive in multicoloured robes and various masks which represent the forms of various deities including Buddha.[4] They danced to the beats with colorful fluttering surge to ward off evil and welcome universal peace and happiness.[4] mask dances is an essential part of Tantric tradition of Mahayana Buddhism.[7]

At a one-kilometre stretch from Moti-Market to the other end of Leh Bazaar thousands of stalls are also famous in two-day long festival.[7] Thousands of people in colourful dresses got together at Leh bazaar[8] for games like tambola and lotteries and shopping.[7]

Schedule

Since Ladakh follows the Tibetan lunar calendar and Dosmoche festival comes on the twenty-eighth and twenty ninth and day of the twelfth month Tibetan calendar, every year the festival falls on a different date of the Gregorian calendar.[9]

Year	Date
2014	27–28 February
2015	17–18 February
2016	6–7 February
2017	24–25 February
2018	13–14 February
2019	2–3 February
2020	21–22 February

Gallery

Dosmoche Festival

• 
  Cham dance during Dosmoche festival in Leh Palace
• 
  People are enjoying games like Tambola and lotteries during festival.
• 
  Purchasing during festival
• 
  Second day of Dosmoche festival at Leh market

References

1. "Leh, Likir Dosmoche begins". Retrieved 3 March 2018.
2. Sutinder Singh (15 September 2017). Tourist Places in Jammu and Kashmir. Educreation Publishing. pp. 50–. GGKEY:3EN6BQXNEE3.
3. "Dosmoche Festival". Retrieved 3 March 2018.
4. "Ladakh celebrates winter festival of 'Dosmoche'". Retrieved 3 March 2018.
5. Antiquities of Indian Tibet. Asian Educational Services. pp. 98–. ISBN 978-81-206-0769-9.
6. "Likir Festival in Likir Gompa". india.com. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
7. "'Leh, Likir Dosmoche begins'". Retrieved 3 March 2018.
8. Usha Sharma (1 January 2008). Festivals In Indian Society (2 Vols. Set). Mittal Publications. pp. 107–. ISBN 978-81-8324-113-7.
9. "Calendar of Monastic festival". Leh official website. Retrieved 1 March 2018.