Archery and Polo in Ladakh

Archery is one of the most famous sports in Ladakh and is keenly contested even at village levels. Polo and archery are the two favourite past times in Ladakh. In Leh, and many of the villages, archery festivals are held during the summer months, with a lot of fun and fanfare. They are competitive events and all the surrounding villages send teams, and the shooting takes place according to strict etiquette, to the accompaniment of the music of Surna and daman (oboe and drum). Chang, the local barley beer, flows freely, but there is rarely any rowdiness. The men dress invariable in traditional dress, and the women wear their brightest brocade mantles and their heaviest jewellery. Archery may be the pretext for the gathering, but the party's thing.