Naropa Festival 2016 – ‘The Kumbh Mela of the Himalayas’ – to be held from 16-22 September 2016

The Drukpa order announces dates for the once-in-12-years Naropa Festival; invites everyone to be a part of the largest Buddhist Festival in the world. Ladakh based Drukpa Order - the leading sect of Himalayan Buddhism announced the dates for the ‘Naropa 2016’ – a grand spiritual celebration that happens once in 12 years. Christened after the Indian scholar-saint Naropa, this is the biggest and most prominent Buddhist festival in the world and attracts tourists from across the globe. Referred to as the “KumbhMela of the Himalayas”, the Naropa Festival 2016 commemorates the millennial birth anniversary of Naropa in a month-long celebration throughout September at Hemis Monastery, the seat of the Drukpa Order in Leh. Half a million people are expected to attend the festival this year, that promises to be a unique mix of spirituality, culture and diversity. It will feature performances by Bollywood celebrities and several high profile dignitaries from across the globe. His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, one of the regents of the Drukpa Order, announced the dates of Naropa 2016 at the recently concluded Hemis Festivalin Leh. Naropa is the patron Saint of the Drukpa Order whose life heralded the beginning of a rich tradition in Buddhist philosophy. Himalayan Buddhism and its offshoots across Central Asia are steeped in the teachings of Naropa who played a defining role in shaping the culture and identity of various communities. Saint Naropa resided in Ladakh, where he mastered the “Six Yogas of Naropa.” These are now meditational pillars of Vajrayana Buddhism, and are fundamental to nearly every school and lineage of the greater Himalayas. His message of experiential learning and active compassion continue to be the fundamental principles of the Drukpa Order and have earned the lineage a robust global following. The Naropa Festival will feature an elaborate ceremony where His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa– spiritual head of the Drukpa Order who is revered as Naropa’s reincarnation, shall don the Six Bone Ornaments that are the physical legacy of Saint Naropa– left behind after his liberation.

The Drukpa order announces dates for the once-in-12-years Naropa Festival; invites everyone to be a part of the largest Buddhist Festival in the world. Ladakh based Drukpa Order - the leading sect of Himalayan Buddhism announced the dates for the ‘Naropa 2016’ – a grand spiritual celebration that happens once in 12 years. Christened after the Indian scholar-saint Naropa, this is the biggest and most prominent Buddhist festival in the world and attracts tourists from across the globe. Referred to as the “KumbhMela of the Himalayas”, the Naropa Festival 2016 commemorates the millennial birth anniversary of Naropa in a month-long celebration throughout September at Hemis Monastery, the seat of the Drukpa Order in Leh. Half a million people are expected to attend the festival this year, that promises to be a unique mix of spirituality, culture and diversity. It will feature performances by Bollywood celebrities and several high profile dignitaries from across the globe. His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, one of the regents of the Drukpa Order, announced the dates of Naropa 2016 at the recently concluded Hemis Festivalin Leh. Naropa is the patron Saint of the Drukpa Order whose life heralded the beginning of a rich tradition in Buddhist philosophy. Himalayan Buddhism and its offshoots across Central Asia are steeped in the teachings of Naropa who played a defining role in shaping the culture and identity of various communities. Saint Naropa resided in Ladakh, where he mastered the “Six Yogas of Naropa.” These are now meditational pillars of Vajrayana Buddhism, and are fundamental to nearly every school and lineage of the greater Himalayas. His message of experiential learning and active compassion continue to be the fundamental principles of the Drukpa Order and have earned the lineage a robust global following. The Naropa Festival will feature an elaborate ceremony where His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa– spiritual head of the Drukpa Order who is revered as Naropa’s reincarnation, shall don the Six Bone Ornaments that are the physical legacy of Saint Naropa– left behind after his liberation.The Drukpa order announces dates for the once-in-12-years Naropa Festival; invites everyone to be a part of the largest Buddhist Festival in the world.

Ladakh based Drukpa Order - the leading sect of Himalayan Buddhism announced the dates for
the ‘Naropa 2016’ – a grand spiritual celebration that happens once in 12 years. Christened after the Indian scholar-saint Naropa, this is the biggest and most prominent Buddhist festival in the world and attracts tourists from across the globe. Referred to as the “KumbhMela of the Himalayas”, the Naropa Festival 2016 commemorates the millennial birth anniversary of Naropa in a month-long celebration throughout September at Hemis Monastery, the seat of the Drukpa Order in Leh.

After a Great PHOTO JOURNEY from Barsana Holi, now Jitendra is taking us to Leh through his phenomenal Photographs. All these photographs were shot at Leh in the month of Feb last year (Feb, 2012). Let's check out this Photo Journey and enjoy wonderful landscapes, people and culture of Leh.Leh was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, now the Leh District in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Leh is the second largest district in the country (after Kutch, Gujarat) in terms of area.Over the time, Leh has become one of the hot destination for Tourists and Photographers. We always see wonderful photographs from Leh and all these motivate almost everyone to visit Leh, click these wonderful landscapes and come back with great memories to cherish for. At Photo Journey, we planned many Leh trips and there are some great plans in 2013 as well. Some of the passionate Photographers have come together to plan a great trip to Leh through Spiti Valley and some of the passionate Bloggers & Travellers are also joining. Above photograph shows a wonderful frame from a market - vehicles moving around and people walking on the footpath. For most of the folks, it's hard to imagine a vacation at Leh during winters. But trends are changing and now people love exploring Leh during winters as well. Above photograph shows one of the views from Leh - snow covered courtyard. Ladakh is a region of India in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south , inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir.Leh also presents great opportunities to explore different cultures, colors and various unique things all around.It includes the Baltistan (Baltiyul) valleys, the Indus Valley, the remote Zangskar, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, Aksai Chin and Ngari, including the Rudok region and Guge, in the east, and the Nubra valleys to the north.Since Ladakh is a part of strategically important Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian military maintains a strong presence in the region. The largest town in Ladakh is Leh. It is one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in South Asia, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bhutan and Sri Lanka... a majority of Ladakhis are Tibetan Buddhists and the rest are mostly Shia Muslims. Some Ladakhi activists have in recent times called for Ladakh to be constituted as a union territory because of its religious and cultural differences with predominantly Muslim KashmirThe economy of Ladakh rests on three pillars: the Indian Army, tourism, and civilian government in the form of jobs and extensive subsidies. Agriculture, the mainstay only one generation ago, is no longer a major portion of the economy, although most families still own and work their land. In past, Ladakh enjoyed a stable and self-reliant agricultural economy based on growing barley, wheat and peas and keeping livestock, especially yaks, cows, dzos sheep and goats. Animals are scarce and water is in short supply. The Ladakhis developed a small-scale farming system adapted to this unique environment. The land is irrigated by a system of channels which funnel water from the ice and snow of the mountains. The principal crops are barley and wheat. Rice was previously a luxury in the Ladakhi diet, but, subsidised by the government, has now become a cheap staple.In the past, Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes, but since the Chinese authorities closed the borders with Tibet and Central Asia in the 1960s, international trade has dwindled except for tourism.

Half a million people are expected to attend the festival this year, that promises to be a unique mix of spirituality, culture and diversity. It will feature performances by Bollywood celebrities and several high profile dignitaries from across the globe. His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, one of the regents of the Drukpa Order, announced the dates of Naropa 2016 at the recently concluded Hemis Festival in Leh.

Naropa is the patron Saint of the Drukpa Order whose life heralded the beginning of a rich tradition in Buddhist philosophy. Himalayan Buddhism and its offshoots across Central Asia are steeped in the teachings of Naropa who played a defining role in shaping the culture and identity of various communities. Saint Naropa resided in Ladakh, where he mastered the “Six Yogas of Naropa.” These are now meditational pillars of Vajrayana Buddhism, and are fundamental to nearly every school and lineage of the greater Himalayas. His message of experiential learning and active compassion continue to be the fundamental principles of the Drukpa Order and have earned the lineage a robust global following.

The Naropa Festival will feature an elaborate ceremony where His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa– spiritual head of the Drukpa Order who is revered as Naropa’s reincarnation, shall don the Six Bone Ornaments that are the physical legacy of Saint Naropa– left behind after his liberation.

Key highlights of Naropa 2016:
  
16th September 2016
  
- His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa dons the Six Ornaments of Naropa – which are said to provide ‘liberation on sight’ to all those who witness it
- A Fashion Parade showcasing the unique culture and tradition of Ladakh and the fusion with modern world
The Drukpa order announces dates for the once-in-12-years Naropa Festival; invites everyone to be a part of the largest Buddhist Festival in the world. Ladakh based Drukpa Order - the leading sect of Himalayan Buddhism announced the dates for the ‘Naropa 2016’ – a grand spiritual celebration that happens once in 12 years. Christened after the Indian scholar-saint Naropa, this is the biggest and most prominent Buddhist festival in the world and attracts tourists from across the globe. Referred to as the “KumbhMela of the Himalayas”, the Naropa Festival 2016 commemorates the millennial birth anniversary of Naropa in a month-long celebration throughout September at Hemis Monastery, the seat of the Drukpa Order in Leh. Half a million people are expected to attend the festival this year, that promises to be a unique mix of spirituality, culture and diversity. It will feature performances by Bollywood celebrities and several high profile dignitaries from across the globe. His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, one of the regents of the Drukpa Order, announced the dates of Naropa 2016 at the recently concluded Hemis Festivalin Leh. Naropa is the patron Saint of the Drukpa Order whose life heralded the beginning of a rich tradition in Buddhist philosophy. Himalayan Buddhism and its offshoots across Central Asia are steeped in the teachings of Naropa who played a defining role in shaping the culture and identity of various communities. Saint Naropa resided in Ladakh, where he mastered the “Six Yogas of Naropa.” These are now meditational pillars of Vajrayana Buddhism, and are fundamental to nearly every school and lineage of the greater Himalayas. His message of experiential learning and active compassion continue to be the fundamental principles of the Drukpa Order and have earned the lineage a robust global following. The Naropa Festival will feature an elaborate ceremony where His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa– spiritual head of the Drukpa Order who is revered as Naropa’s reincarnation, shall don the Six Bone Ornaments that are the physical legacy of Saint Naropa– left behind after his liberation.- Performance by renowned Bollywood Singer KK
  
17th September  2016
  
- Public Display of Six Bone Ornaments
- Performances by Bollywood music director & producer Vishal &Shekhar
  
18th September 2016
  
- Rare opportunity to learn about the teachings of the Lineage disseminated by Drukpa Masters themselves
- Performances by regional celebrities from Ladakh and Kashmir
- Performances by Bollywood Choreographer Terence Lewis & his troupes.
  
19th September 2016

- Unfurling of silk Thangka of Buddha Amitabha – the largest silk brocade in the Himalayas  
- Traditional archery competition
- Musical concert with Music Director Trio Shankar, Ehsaan Loy
  
20th September 2016
  
- 50 stanzas on Guru Devotion by His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa  
- Competitions to engage with Ladakhi youth
- Performances by Rahul Kharbanda, Sivamani and Deepak Pandit& Friends

  
  21st September 2016
  
- Performance by Shakti Mohan (winner, Dance India Dance) with local students
-A special tribute Performance by Bollywood Singer Neeti Mohan to Saint Naropa.

22nd September 2016

- Closing ceremony with 1 lakh Ganachakra offering
- A grand concert in honour of Saint Naropa by celebrity singer Shreya Ghosal
If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -

- Manage your waste well and don’t litter
- Use dustbins. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.
- Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.
- Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.

- Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite 

 After a Great PHOTO JOURNEY from Barsana Holi, now Jitendra is taking us to Leh through his phenomenal Photographs. All these photographs were shot at Leh in the month of Feb last year (Feb, 2012). Let's check out this Photo Journey and enjoy wonderful landscapes, people and culture of Leh.Leh was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, now the Leh District in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Leh is the second largest district in the country (after Kutch, Gujarat) in terms of area.Over the time, Leh has become one of the hot destination for Tourists and Photographers. We always see wonderful photographs from Leh and all these motivate almost everyone to visit Leh, click these wonderful landscapes and come back with great memories to cherish for. At Photo Journey, we planned many Leh trips and there are some great plans in 2013 as well. Some of the passionate Photographers have come together to plan a great trip to Leh through Spiti Valley and some of the passionate Bloggers & Travellers are also joining. Above photograph shows a wonderful frame from a market - vehicles moving around and people walking on the footpath. For most of the folks, it's hard to imagine a vacation at Leh during winters. But trends are changing and now people love exploring Leh during winters as well. Above photograph shows one of the views from Leh - snow covered courtyard. Ladakh is a region of India in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south , inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir.Leh also presents great opportunities to explore different cultures, colors and various unique things all around.It includes the Baltistan (Baltiyul) valleys, the Indus Valley, the remote Zangskar, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, Aksai Chin and Ngari, including the Rudok region and Guge, in the east, and the Nubra valleys to the north.Since Ladakh is a part of strategically important Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian military maintains a strong presence in the region. The largest town in Ladakh is Leh. It is one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in South Asia, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bhutan and Sri Lanka... a majority of Ladakhis are Tibetan Buddhists and the rest are mostly Shia Muslims. Some Ladakhi activists have in recent times called for Ladakh to be constituted as a union territory because of its religious and cultural differences with predominantly Muslim KashmirThe economy of Ladakh rests on three pillars: the Indian Army, tourism, and civilian government in the form of jobs and extensive subsidies. Agriculture, the mainstay only one generation ago, is no longer a major portion of the economy, although most families still own and work their land. In past, Ladakh enjoyed a stable and self-reliant agricultural economy based on growing barley, wheat and peas and keeping livestock, especially yaks, cows, dzos sheep and goats. Animals are scarce and water is in short supply. The Ladakhis developed a small-scale farming system adapted to this unique environment. The land is irrigated by a system of channels which funnel water from the ice and snow of the mountains. The principal crops are barley and wheat. Rice was previously a luxury in the Ladakhi diet, but, subsidised by the government, has now become a cheap staple.In the past, Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes, but since the Chinese authorities closed the borders with Tibet and Central Asia in the 1960s, international trade has dwindled except for tourism.

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