Takthok Tsechu Festival will be celebrated from 16 to 17 July 2024 in Takthok Monastery.

Takthok (means ‘Rock Roofed Cave’ in Ladakhi language) is a village located near Chemrey, between Leh and Pangong lake. Takthok monastery is one of its kind, the only Nyingma monastery (the oldest spiritual lineage of Tibetan Buddhism) in Ladakh. Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma order, brought the tradition of monastic dance in Tibetan Buddhism. He would dance to subdue obstacles and demons in Tibet during the reign of the King Trisong Detsen. Takthok Tsechu is celebrated on 10th and 11th of the sixth month of Tibetan lunar calendar. During this festival, the monks perform a special Cham called ‘Guru Tsengyat Cham’ - the eight manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava. The masked dance and the presence of these icons are to be experienced first-hand to appreciate them.