Dah Hanu Festival — A Festival of the Ladakh Nomads

At the far edge of northern India, in a remote village where high mountains blot out the sky, a festival opens its heart to outsiders. The photographer’s gaze lingers long on the nomads’ traditional dress, adorned with vivid flowers.

Words & Photos Jang Seungho

Most tourists never make it as far as the villages of Dah and Hanu. Buses do run from Leh to Dah and Hanu, but the area is so remote, and no transportation of any kind connects the two villages. My group visited Dah first, in the order the festival’s name is written, and then hitchhiked to Hanu. Visiting these remote villages requires a separate permit. The Dah Hanu area, about 160 kilometers west of Leh, is clearly part of India on the map, but it is classified as a “disputed area” because of the decades-long border conflict between India and Pakistan. Dah Hanu is, in effect, one of the last villages civilians are allowed to enter.

This was while I was staying in Ladakh, in northern India. By the time I could say I had become a resident of an ancient kingdom perched at 3,800 meters, Ladakh was buzzing with festivals of all kinds. Monks’ masked dances, polo matches, street photo exhibitions at the Ladakh Festival—simply being there at that time of year was a blessing. Amid the dazzling festivities, notice of yet another festival appeared on a village bulletin board: the Dah Hanu Festival. My eyes were drawn to photographs of people wearing flower decorations on their heads. Without a moment’s hesitation, I went.

Dah Hanu is home to the Brokpa people, who can also be found in Indian places such as Batalik, Darchicks and Garkon. They are also called “Dards,” a name said to mean roaming here and there with their cattle in search of pasture. The history of the Brokpa is still a mystery. Theories hold that they “came from Pakistan,” that they are “members of the Chila tribe,” or that they are “the last descendants of Alexander the Great.” Do they themselves know where they came from? The Brokpa have a language but no script of their own, so no written records remain.
Brokpa traditional dress is anything but ordinary. Women in particular adorn themselves with lavish flowers, silver ornaments and sheepskin, so much so that you wonder how anyone can walk around dressed like this. The folk songs they sing carry the history of how they came to settle where they live today. They are said to sing these songs and celebrate at New Year, or at the great harvest festival called Bononah. The festival, commonly known as the Aryan Festival, likewise heralds the spring of the new year.

At the festival in Hanu, I listened to the folk songs and captured the local people in my photographs. These days only the village elders wear traditional dress, but at festival time most residents put it on. In the midst of the village celebration, I finally felt like a tourist who had come from far away. I couldn’t say why, but everyone seemed happy. So was I, when I mingled with them. Throughout the festival, I thought what a beautiful and pure community this was. Still, it was a little disappointing to see a local participant fumble around and pull out a Samsung phone.

In Dah Hanu, where the festival is held every year, lodging was offered to tourists at quite a high price. It didn’t feel entirely good to know that even this remote place was in the process of turning into a tourist destination. For a homestay, I followed an elderly woman, leaving the festival village behind and beginning to climb a canyon. Beyond truly barren land, there was yet another village. Flowers of many kinds, including those that beautifully decorate Brokpa women’s traditional dress, appeared everywhere, and vegetables like cabbage were being grown. They live self-sufficiently. At the homestay, I stayed up through the night looking at photographs left by travelers who had passed through before me. Strolling through the village, I could pick apricots and wash clothes in the flowing river. It was a place that put my mind at ease. I can only hope that the Brokpa, who preserve their history in song, and the environment of their homeland will be well protected.