Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Feb 26: Two days annual festival of Stok popularly known as Stok Guru Tseschu concluded here today.
The Stok Guru Tseschu festival is being held in the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, the holy prayer month. It is celebrated in accordance with Guru Rinpoche’s (Padmasambhava) birthday which falls on the 9th and 10th day of the first Tibetan month. On the occasion monks in the best robes performed splendid mask dance reflecting different god and goddesses.
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The main attraction of the festival is the two oracles and it is strictly prohibited to take pictures of oracles. After the deep meditations for months, these oracles come in complete trance and performed rituals in the court yard to handle unpleasant and disaster in future.
These oracles also give future prediction about future unforeseen events and people have strong believed in it besides people also seek advice from these oracles. These oracles walk on the edge of the monastery sometimes even cutting themselves with swords.
The preparation for the festival starts from a year in which four families of the village known as “Nerpa” are assigned the duty on rotational basis to organize the festival. The four organizer members goes from door to door to make donation for the festival and people generously contributes for the festival in cash and kind.
On the occasion, Hill Council Chairman Dorjay Mutup, Executive Councilors and Councillors were also present. Tourist and local people in large numbers also witnessed the festival.
Talking to media persons, Executive Councillor for Tourism Tsering Sandup said that Ladakh is known for its unique monastic festival and rituals and such festival attracts many tourists from all over the country. He emphasized the need for preserving and promoting such festival not only to showcase to the tourists but for the future generation of Ladakh.
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