The Cham — masked monks, two-day spectacle, performed once a year in the cliff-side courtyard above the Indus.
Two days in the courtyard at Hemis in early summer, marking the birth of Padmasambhava. Monks dance the cham in brocade and painted masks, and it is liturgy rather than theatre, however magnificent it looks from the gallery.
Once every twelve years the monastery unfurls a giant thangka across the wall of the courtyard. The rest of the time Hemis is among the wealthiest and quietest gompas in Ladakh.
Stay with us
A monastery-view homestay in Hemis village, five minutes from the gate.
