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Mask Dance and Festival of Thiksey

The sacred dances performed with majestic rhythmic movement, or popularly known mask dance or Chham is an important aspect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monks robed in colourful attire performed these dances. This Chham is the vital part of annual festival of Thiksey monastery, which is held in   the ninth months of Tibetan calendar every year.
 

At Thiksey Monastery they do Mandala three times a year. Monks created intricate mandala with colored sand made of crushed semi-precious stones as part of a spiritual practice. The creation of a sand mandala requires many hours and days to complete. Each mandala contains many symbols that must be perfectly reproduce each time the mandala is created. When finished, the monks gather in a colorful ceremony chanting in deep tones while they sweep their sand mandala into a jar and empty it into a nearby body of water as a blessing and to symbolize the cycle of life.

The management of the Thiksey Monastery provides free food and medical assistance to the hundred odd monks of the monastery.