Its festival time in Ladakh for tourists

Tourists in Ladakh, a place known for its rich traditional culture, are having a great time attending the ongoing Ladakh festival, organised to popularise the local culture and boost tourism.

By Jigmet Angchuk

Leh (Jammu and Kashmir), July 18 : Tourists in Ladakh, a place known for its rich traditional culture, are having a great time attending the ongoing Ladakh festival, organised to popularise the local culture and boost tourism.

The festival is offering outsiders an opportunity to understand the culture of people who have lived for centuries on the cross-roads of high Asia, receiving and harmonizing cultural and religious influences from various Central Asian societies.

Jigmet Dorjey, the Director Himalayan Logur Society, said: "Our aim is to preserve and maintain the rich culture and the language of Ladakh. Our dance, drama and the dress is different form others and through this festival, we are trying to promote and preserve our culture."

The daily cultural shows that are organised during evening provide an insight Ladakh's rich cultural heritage. It features folk dances and drama.

Men and women dressed in the maroon garb dance to the tunes of traditional music.

The tourist guides in the region say that these cultural groups are doing their bit to promote the Ladakhi culture without much support from the government.

Dorjey Tsering, a tour operator, said: "There are four groups in Ladakh, like the Sindu Sargam. They earn very little money through these shows. They do not receive any support from the government but try to promote the culture of the state through these shows."

The festival, which commenced in June, will conclude by September end.

Ladakh region, mostly inhabited by Buddhists with its distinct identity, has remained unaffected by the turbulence of Jammu and Kashmir.

Tourism is the mainstay of Ladakh's economy.

ANI