Ladishah (Ladakh)

Understand

Where Ladishah (Ladakh) comes from

Ladishah is the folk-song-with-dance tradition of the Ladakhi people of the Ladakh region, performed by men and women of the community at the weddings and the social gatherings of the village. The dance is associated with the cultural life of the Ladakhi Buddhist community and is performed at the central courtyard of the host. The form is one of the documented regional traditions of Ladakh and is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the state. The dance is one of the lesser-documented but living traditions of the Ladakhi community.

How it's practiced

Ladishah is performed by men and women of the Ladakhi community in a circle at the central courtyard of the village or at the open ground of the festival. The men and women perform in coordinated steps to the song of the Ladishah cycle and to the rhythm of the small regional instruments (the small cymbals and the surna). The dance is gentle, with the small stepping rhythm of the Ladakhi tradition. Costume is the everyday Ladakhi dress — the woollen goncha and the regional dress. Performances are at the wedding and at the cultural programmes of the Ladakhi community.