|
|
The Festival Of The Blindfolded Acrobatic Oracle Monks
On the 15th day of the 1st Tibetan month, a 2-day festival is held at the
Matho Monastery- the only Saskyapa monastic establishment in
Ladakh . During this
festival, the two oracles of the monastery make a public appearance in
their full spiritual form. These oracles, actually monks of the monastery,
meditate in complete isolation fro a full month in preparation of entering
in a state of trance and invoking the spirit of the deities.
On the day of the festival, they invoke and receive the deities and come
into their full spiritual trance. They run over the high rise ramparts of
the monastery, jump from one balcony of another and execute a number of
acrobatic feats, all while blindfolded! People from far and wide come to
hear the oracles predict key future events and to seek answers about their
own future.