Ladakhi Festival

We were lucky enough to be in Leh for the annual folk festival.  Great time watching the dances, music, polo etc.  The ladies headdresses are fantastic with so many turquoise stones.  All the villages and some tribal areas in Ladakh come in their traditional dress.

We were sitting on the edge of the polo match with balls sometimes flying into our sitting area and then battles over the ball jut a few feet from us with flailing mallets.  A few photos below.

We would ask for permission for a photo and talk to them as much as possible, showing them the photo in the view finder.  They all would giggle and point and get their friends to look.  Fun.

Beautiful jewelry passed down through generations.

Far off village getting ready to do the plate dance.

Backstage a tribal village gets the call that they are next to perform and move out for the field with their drums.

Love these handwoven shoes and the pattern.

Good Hat.  And a good performance.

The lady on the left asked if I could send her a photo and gave an address.  For 30 rupees each a photo shop made four copies of two photos so I could send.  The lady in the post office wanted to see the photos and said this is a friend of mine she is still here in Leh - I will give it to her tonight!  So we left it with her.  She said the village is so remote that it will take weeks for mail to get there,  The village is Skurbuchan.  It felt good to provide the photos.

Ladies from another remote village.