Dosmoche

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.

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]

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]