Masked dancers, oracles add zest to Matho Nagrang festival in Leh

Leh, Mar 12 (ANI): Masked dancers in colourful silk robes enticed spectators at the annual Matho Nagrang festival at the Matho Monastery here recently.

Celebrated on the 14 and 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, the festival is a colourful affair where monks dressed in masks depicting various gods and goddesses perform a dance in the courtyard of the monastery in front of hundreds of devotees.

The highlight of this festival is the appearance of two oracles, who make an appearance after two months of mediation in absolute isolation and make prophesies.

Buddhist followers from far and wide come to seek blessings and advice from these twin oracles.

"During these two days of this annual festival, various mask dances are performed by the monks of this monastery. The festival is famous for its twin oracles who perform mask dance during the festival," said Stanba Yarphel, head monk at the monastery.

These oracles that go into a trance predict the future and also perform some amazing acrobatics.

The Matho Monastery is the only monastery in the region dedicated to the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. By Jigmet Angchuk (ANI)