On August 2016, I had my first backpacking trip in India and experienced erratic weather patterns; rain during the morning, scorching heat at noon and cold winds in the evening. We travelled up north to Ladakh in search of stable weather and found it, thanks to the towering Himalayan range and had to rest for a night to acclimatize our bodies against mountain sickness.

The guesthouse owner invited us to the reincarnation festival of Kyabje Khangpo Rinpoche in Takthok Monastery, hidden between a gorge in the arid desert and a rocky mountain. There are many Monasteries in North India that are unscathed and tested by time, they are rich in grandeur culture, history, and heritage. The morning was freezing as arid as one could get from a desert through the snowcapped mountains was a picturesque view as we ventured southeast of the city of Leh to witness this majestic festival. The festival is about how Guru Rinpoche was once meditated and banished the demons.

We were enthralled when the first gong rang and the wailing of the monks started, they came out of the monastery wearing colorful masks, held antique bronze gongs and clothed in intricately designed traditional costumes. It was accompanied by music and prayers which symbolized the triumph of good over evil. The dance had trance-like steps, the performers wailed whilst striking gongs, while others held swords that battled against the devil. Although we didn’t finish the celebration due to time constraints, the festival kept going for hours. The elaborate costumes, huge vibrant masks, and the tantric dancing captivated a flock of local and international tourists, lamas and monks alike. The aura and ambiance of the monastery give it another worldy feel. Imagine dancing, fluttering prayer flags, the wailing of monks’ prayers and the jaw-dropping backdrop of Himalayas. It truly is an experience that I will never forget.