Ladakh's Culture Shines During J&K's Mamani Food Festival

CHICKAN KARGIL LADAKH | MUSIC | SEASONAL | EXPO AND EXHIBITIONS | ART & CULTURE | MUSIC One of the most anticipated celebrations in Kargil Ladakh is the Mamani Festival, also known as the Ethnic Food Festival. People cook traditional foods on this day, such as Hrtsrap Khur Yeast Bread Markhur, Thukpa Popot Grain Soup, Puri Poli Pane Cakes of Buck Wheat Curd, Suggoo Kash or Pachae, and Skinn Kabchey. This festival has the potential to draw a lot of tourists to Kargil in the near future.Actions The Ethnic Food Festival, or Mamani Festival 1. Food Expo Booths 2. Customized Archery 3. Hockey on Ice4. Cultural Events5.The present study aims to give a comprehensive picture of Mamani, the sole ethnic food festival of Ladakh, India. A total of 40 people, selected at random, were involved in the interviews and discussions after receiving their prior consent. The annual Mamani festival promotes the preparation and consumption of traditional Ladakhi foods. It indicates the end of the harsher part of the winter season and is also considered a tribune for showcasing the communal and social harmony of the region. This festival will boost winter tourism in Ladakh. It will also be a helpful tool in the introduction of local foods at Anganwadi centres and schools. In light of modernization, this time-tradition that has started to fade needs to be revived on priority.LADAKH, a trans-Himalayan union territory of India since the ancient period has an extraordinary relationship with nature. The natives enjoy every season of the year with great zeal and enthusiasm.

Ladakh is known for its harsh winters with average temperatures ranging between –20°C and –30°C. To cope with this period, several festivals are being celebrated in its twin districts, i.e. Leh and Kargil. Another reason for celebrating festivals in the winter is due to the people becoming free from all farming activities as farming is only possible during the summer season. One such festival is Mamani, an ethnic food festival that is celebrated by both Muslim and Buddhist communities in Ladakh. It is currently celebrated in majority of the blocks of Kargil district and Skurbuchan block of Leh district. It is also celebrated in Kargil and Leh cities by the inhabitants of these areas. Currently it is also celebrated in Bilargo, Brolmo and Skilma villages of Baltistan (a region in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). The festival is not associated with either Buddhism or Islam, the two prominent religions of Ladakh, but is still practiced as a tradition.