Ladakh Cham

Understand

Where Ladakh Cham comes from

Cham is the Buddhist-mask dance tradition of the Ladakhi monasteries, performed at the annual Gustor festival (the central Buddhist festival of Ladakh) of the Spituk, the Thiksey and the Hemis monasteries. The dance is associated with the worship of the protector deities of Tibetan Buddhism (the Mahakala, the Yamantaka, the Mahakali) and is performed at the central courtyard of the monastery. The form is part of the broader Tibetan Buddhist-mask tradition and is one of the most distinctive regional traditions of Ladakh. The dance is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the state and at the Gustor festival.

How it's practiced

Cham is performed by monks of the Ladakhi monastery in a circle at the central courtyard of the monastery or at the open ground of the Gustor festival. The monks wear the elaborate mask of the protector deities and the embroidered silk costume of the Tibetan tradition. The dance is vigorous, with the small warrior-steps of the Cham vocabulary. Music is the long horn (the rong-chen), the large cymbals and the small cymbals of the monastery. Costume is the elaborate Tibetan silk costume with the painted mask. Performances are at the central courtyard of the monastery and at the cultural programmes of the state.