Drukpa Kagyu

(द्रुकपा काग्यू)

Literal Meaning

The Dragon lineage of Kagyu

Etymology & Sanskrit Root

A branch of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Spiritual Insight & Context

The lineage to which Hemis Monastery in Ladakh belongs. It traces its teaching through the Kagyu masters.

Where Drukpa Kagyu Comes Up

Hemis Festival: The Masked Dances of Ladakh

The Hemis Festival marks Guru Padmasambhava's birth anniversary with masked cham dances. This article sets out the festival, what the dances mean, and the twelve-year thangka.

Topics

Tabo and Hemis: Sacred Himalayan Monasteries

Tabo in Spiti, founded in 996 CE and called the Ajanta of the Himalayas, and Hemis in Ladakh preserve over a millennium of living Vajrayana Buddhist practice.

Sacred Places