Matho Festival is a winter festival celebrated at Matho Monastery, situated 26 km south-east of
Leh, in
Jammu and Kashmir. It comprises of two festivals, Nagrang and Nispetsergyat.
During the first festival, Nagrang Festival, two lamas called Rongzam go into a trance in the Gonkhang room of the
gompa. These lamas are chosen by Matho's lamas once in every three years. After that the Rongzam adorned with Gongkhang's old weapons run over the mountain ridges and the gompa’s (monastery) roofs. During the first day, they are evil-minded and calms down on the second day.
During Nispetsergyat Festival (the second festival), the Rongzam ride on horseback over the same route, they previously took on foot.
The two festivals are accompanied by mask dances and the Rongzam demonstrates their divine power. They also perform dances, which are considered to be sacred. During the dance they pierce their arms, feet and tongue with Gongkhang's weapons. These wounds won’t bleed and heals faster.
This religious ritual takes place on the 14th and 15th of the first month of the Tibetan calendar.
