LEH, SEPT 27: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena inaugurated the three-day Ladakh Festival 2026 at the Polo Ground in Leh, setting the stage for a vibrant showcase of Ladakh’s cultural traditions, indigenous sports, cuisine, handicrafts and emerging tourism experiences.
The festival opened with a grand cultural parade from Karzoo to Polo Ground, featuring monastic groups, folk performers, traditional musicians, horse and camel riders and representatives from villages and districts across Ladakh.
Addressing a large gathering, LG Saxena highlighted the festival’s role in taking Ladakh’s centuries-old cultural heritage to national and international audiences.
He stressed that the region’s rapid development and modernisation must be accompanied by sustained efforts to preserve its cultural identity and traditional way of life.
The Lieutenant Governor called for a community-led and environmentally responsible tourism model, emphasising that tourism growth should generate economic opportunities for local communities while protecting Ladakh’s fragile ecology and cultural heritage.
The three-day festival features a wide range of attractions, including traditional archery, horse polo, handicraft and handloom exhibitions, local cuisine, live artisan demonstrations, astronomy and stargazing, mask dances, photo exhibitions, short films, river rafting and a sound-and-light show.Saxena said Ladakh was working towards becoming an all-season tourism destination, with greater emphasis on winter tourism, astro-tourism, wellness tourism, culture-based tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism and village tourism.
He also urged visitors to travel responsibly, engage with local communities, support local artisans and entrepreneurs and contribute to protecting Ladakh’s environment.
The administration said Ladakh had recorded 4.37 lakh tourist arrivals by September 16, 2026, already exceeding the total number recorded during the entire year of 2025.
The opening programme featured performances by the Stringmo Sisters and Shillong Chamber Choir, besides folk and cultural presentations highlighting Ladakh’s artistic diversity.
The festival seeks to combine heritage, adventure and contemporary visitor experiences, while creating opportunities for local communities and promoting Ladakh’s distinctive cultural identity on a wider platform.
