Introduction
Every year in the month of June, thousands of Buddhist devotee and tourists gather in Hemis, 40 km southeast of Leh, J&K, to celebrate the famous monastic Hemis festival. It is held to commemorate the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, (Gur Rimpoche), who founded Tantric Buddhism and established Buddhism in Tibet. During the three day festival, the courtyard of Hemis Gompa offers a thrilling glimpse of unique culture and traditions of Leh. The sacred and Tartaric dance, rituals, music and dances- all are very exciting parts of the festival.


Quick Facts
Time : June-July
Location : Hemist Leh, Jammu & Kashmir
Climate : -26 ºC (Min), 25 ºC (Max)
Best Time to visit : May to September

Attractions in the Hemis Festival
Cham Dance
Cham Dance is synonym to Hemis festival. Masked Lamas perform a Tantarik dance around the central flagpole with long horns over head. The dances take place in the accompaniment drums and cymbals.

Thanka
The display of Thanka is one of the most attractive event. It is a a sacred appliqué work tapestry wrought with pearls depicting Padmasambhava and is made public after every 12 years.

Hemis Monastery
Hemis Monastery is in the heart of the festival. It is the biggest and wealthiest Buddist monastery and offers insight about Tibetan Buddhism. Tshogkhang is the most sacred section within the monastery.

Hemis Air/ Rail/ Road Links

Airport :	Hemis is located 40 km from the Leh, the headquarter of Ladakh. Nearest airport is in Leh and it offers domestic air services to all important cities of India.
Railway Station :	Jammu is the nearest rail head offering regular rail services to all major cities of India.
Bus Station :	Leh Bus Station is the nearest bus station and offers
Local :	Taxi, car and bus are the local means to reach from Leh to Hemis

Places to Stay
Leh is the nearest city located 40 km from Hemis and offers all kind of accommodation ranging from luxury category to budget and economy class hotels. Some prominent hotels at Leh are :

Other Attraction Near Hemis
Hemis Wildlife Sanctuary
This national park is located in the north of the main Himalayan range and offers a unique kind topography in which best adventure sites, snow covered mountains and wonderful Himalayan fauna make a great attraction.

Monasteries in Leh
Thiske, Shey, Alchi, Likir and Lamayuru are some of the famous Buddhist monasteries located near Leh. They offers an insight about the development of Tibetan Buddhism.

Leh Palace
This is a beautiful palace built in 17th century palace. The former home of the royal family, the palace has magnificent work of miniature. The palace has a tower which depict the Ladakh's victory over the Balti Kashmir armies in the early 16th century.