Shortly after I arrived in Ladakh, the festival at the Monastery of Hemis was scheduled to take place. Probably among the most touristy of the monastic Cham dance (traditional Tibetan masked dances) festivals in Ladakh, due to its proximity to Leh and the fact that it takes place in the summer during the height of the tourist season. Other monastic celebrations typically take place during the winter months when there are few tourists around braving the bitter Ladakhi winter. Nevertheless, the Hemis festival is a great opportunity for photography with locals dressed in there finest traditional garb as well as the spectacularly ornate masks of the Cham dancers as subjects. I enjoyed wondering through the crowds taking pictures even if I did feel a bit like a paparazzi amidst the crowd of camera touting foreign tourists.
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