A Comprehensive Manual About Matho Nagrang Festival of Ladakh
The Matho Narang Festival, also known as the Festival of Oracles, is one of Ladakh’s most eagerly awaited occasions. Every year, for two days, two oracles or monks come out of seclusion to accomplish amazing acrobatic feats while blindfolded! The oracles not only predict future events for the region, but they also provide projections for individuals who are curious about their future. This festival takes place about a week after the commemoration of Stok Guru Tsechu. Thousands of people flock to Ladakh to witness the Matho Nagrang Festival. Thus, book cheap flight tickets to India from USA to come to the festival, and observe the action as it unfolds.
An Overview of Matho Nagrang Festival
This festival, conducted in the Matho Monastery, is among the liveliest monastic celebrations. The first two days of the event featured a stunning display of mask dances performed by the monks from the monasteries. They are dressed in vivid, colorful silk robes and donned masks that are supposed to depict the faces of numerous gods and goddesses. The ceremony holds great significance and importance for the people. Before the festival begins, two whole months are dedicated to meditations in total solitude, followed by two oracles.
The two alleged oracles follow the two masked dancers as they enter the monastery courtyard. These oracles are also believed to be able to predict future events and other impending happenings. This dance is a crucial component of the event since these oracles are highly respected and visited by people from all over the country to get their future forecasts and to find out if anything untoward would happen. It is said that these oracles enter a spiritual trance after their two months of isolation in the monasteries. In addition to other acrobatics, there is a performance of acrobatics in the courtyard where the artists jump from one balcony to another. These stunts are all performed with blindfolds on.
When is Matho Nagrang Festival Celebrated?
The event is observed on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Tibetan calendar. This festival is celebrated in Ladakh at the Matho Monastery, which is the only monastery connected to the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism.
Location of the Festival: Matho Monastery
Matho Monastery is the only monastery in the Sakyapa school of Tibetan Buddhism, and it is located in the eastern Ladakh region. This sect was founded in the eleventh century and specializes in Tantra. Furthermore, you can visit Flyopedia to grab affordable last minute flight deals to India from USA.
The Preparation Process of the Festival
Three years before the Matho Nagrang festival, two monks are chosen to serve as oracles, or “Rongtsan,” for the occasion. The monks fast and meditate to cleanse and ready themselves physically, spiritually, and mentally to become mediums.
They spend nine months in the first year preparing and purifying themselves, and two months in the following years. The oracles undergo extreme seclusion and severe meditation two months before the event as part of their last preparations.
The Matho Nagrang Festival
Every year, the Matho Nagrang celebration is held on the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the first month in the Tibetan calendar. This time of year is equivalent to mid-March every year.
The deities are called upon by the oracles to temporarily take up their physical forms on the day of the festival. The Rongtsan break their seclusion shortly after accepting the deities. The other monks of the monastery undertake a mask dance ritual, which they join in front of throngs of people while dressed in their elaborate silk brocade ensembles and masks.
Acrobatic Feats
With ethereal forces at their disposal, the oracles begin amazing acts such as leaping from one balcony to another and marching around the top-story ramparts while wearing blindfolds and making knife incisions on themselves! These daring endeavors are carried out without any fear or mishap of any kind.
Predictions and Prophecies
The celebration of Matho Nagrang does not end here. The gods are meant to live inside the monks’ bodies for a purpose. Through these oracles, the gods predict the fortunes of the monastery and the surrounding lands for the future year. Because of this, the Rongtsan is also regarded as the monastery’s protector.
They also provide future predictions for people who travel from near and far in search of information about their fate. The gods also offer remedies and cautions against any perceived bad luck.
How to Reach Matho Nagrang Festival?
By Air: There is a flight option available from Delhi to Leh. The closest airport to the approach is Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport. You can hire taxis outside the airport. Also, you can browse Flyopedia.ca to book affordable flights from Canada to India.
By Road: There are buses from Srinagar and Manali that are private and run on roads. By choosing Srinagar, you can use Zoji La Pass to enter Ladakh. If you approach from Manali, you will also go across Rohtang Pass. Another option is to cross Rohtang Pass and go to Ladakh in a private vehicle.
By Train: Since Tawi, the closest station, is 700 kilometers away from Ladakh, taking the train is the least convenient option for travelers to visit the region. It will take around three days to go from this station to the difficult Ladakh terrain.
The annual festivities of Kashmir are unique and quite diversified. Thus, grab the cheapest business class flights to India from USA with Flyopedia and dive into the heart of the Ladakhi celebration!
Also Read: Ladakh’s Hidden Gem: The In-Depth Guide to Yuru Kabgyat Festival
