CELEBRATIONS OF GALDAN NAMCHOT IN LADAKH : Grasshopper

Sakshi Nagar 06-12-2023 05:50 PM My India

The average person living in Ladakh has a very normal life, and festivals throughout the year are just a break for them. Ladakh is known for the Buddhist festivals held there. One of these festivals is the Galdan Namchot Festival, which takes place in all the monasteries of Ladakh. The main reason for the event is to honor the birthday of Tsongkhapa, the Tibetan scholar who founded the Gelugpa school of Tibet in the 14th century. The date of this festival varies from year to year depending on the Tibetan calendar but it is celebrated in December. During this festival, all the apartment buildings and monasteries are illuminated with bright lights, which makes it special. This festival is the first event of the year, and it runs up to the Dosmoche Festival. The people of Ladakh also prepare traditional dishes during this festival. This is a famous part of the festival. The most important among these traditional food items is Thukpa. It is a soup made from lamb with vegetables and noodles. During these days, family and close friends come to meet each other and people are very happy.

HISTORY & CELEBRATIONS OF GALDAN NAMCHOT

Legend says that Je Tsongkhapa was born in Amdo, Tibet around 1357. He was one of the most respected people of his time because of how intelligent he was. Je Tsongkhapa, whose ordained name was Losang Dragpa, was a great Tibetan Buddhist master in the 1300s who helped spread and develop Kadampa Buddhism. His appointed name was Losang Dragpa.

During Galdan Namchot, people in Ladakh think a lot about the scholar-saint Je Tsongkhapa and try to honor him in the best possible way. During this festival, ghee lamps are used to illuminate all the monasteries, public buildings, and homes. Lovely butter lamps make the streets look great. This shows how the light of knowledge can erase the darkness of ignorance. People give a traditional scarf called Khatak to each other as a gift. Most of the time, Khatak is white. But it is not uncommon to see yellow-golden khataks that glisten in the sunlight. White means clean. So, the white Khatak shows that the person giving it has a good heart and bestows good luck to the person receiving it. People stick together over food because it has a bonding effect. On the holiday of Galdan Namchot, traditional food adds a bit of culinary freshness to a day spent enjoying the festivities. People make vegetable and chicken noodle soup. People enjoy the famous momos and thukpas with their family and friends. Butter tea is served in homes. People go to the homes of their friends and family members to have dinner with them.

Galdan Namchot is a daylong festival. Tibetans not only light lamps at night, but they also pray for good luck by burning mulberry (burning pine and cypress branches). Buddhist scriptures state that the gods do not eat food prepared by people, but if they smell smoke, they will come to feast. Tibetans use this time to invite gods and Buddhas into their homes as guests, to offer good wishes, and to pray for good fortune. In Tibetan areas, people worship in a unique way by boiling mulberry. But what is more important is to turn on the lights. A few days before the festival, people started preparing for it. Believers used to make butter lamps one by one. It is said that each monk has to make more than 30 butter lamps, and the number of lamps must be odd, which is good luck.