Sani festival, is a two-day riot of colour lo build a social camaraderie among the far-flung villages of me Zanskar valley. Zanskar is a subdistrict of the Kargil district, which lies in the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Sani monastery, the oldest monastery in Zanskar hosts the annual Sani festival in July. Music, dance, colour, masks and above all, victory of the good over evil—the Sani festival has it all.

People from all around Zanskar come to Sani for this festival. A photographer's delight, this festival sees attendees even from countries like Japan and the United States besides a large number of Europeans. The festival resonates 'with the beats and rhythms of several musical instruments. The lamas wear masks symbolising Gods as well as demons and perform these dances. The dances are actually prayers in a trance-like motion.

This is the mask of the demon in the Cham dance. In this dance, the brave warriors kill the enemy with the arrows that are hidden in their sleeves.

Photo: Sandeepa Chetan