While the former is accompanied by ethnic music, the latter has only singing mountain breezes for company. Moreover, both appear in this magnificent land only during this time of the year, when Ladakh wakes up after remaining cocooned in isolation throughout the white winter.

And for the local population it's more than party time. Basking in the gentle warmth of the mid-September sun, they also use this time to make a fast buck when Ladakh will be thronged by tourists from India and abroad.

While nature unfurls all her majesty to greet the visitors, the people of Ladakh come out with their splendid dance forms, giving the tourist a sumptuous audio-visual feast.

Even the monasteries, whose dense silence is usually disturbed only by the crackling of prayer wheels, come alive with resident Lamas staging their own choreographed dance-dramas.

These presentations, called Chhams, add to the spice ofmonastery festivals which commemorate the founding of a monastery, the birthday of its patron saint or major events in the evolution of Tibetan Buddhism.

Dressed in patterned brocade robes, the Lamas present these dance forms in the courtyard of monasteries. All of them wear masks representing various divinities found in the Gon Khang -- the room dedicated to the guardian angels in every major monastery. Some represent characters from historical episodes and Tibetan fables. Almost all these dance forms represent the victory of good over evil.

Holding ritual objects in their hands, the Lamas step around the central flagpole in the courtyard accompanied by the crash of cymbals, the boom of drums and the melodious sound of shawm and the deep resonance of 12-foot horns.

Every dance begins with Ser Kyem, an invocation to the gods and the guardians of the four quarters. The final round of the mask dance is called Cham-Skor-Chenmo.

These festivals, which also offer an opportunity for the localpopulation to socialise and rejoice, are the only interludes in the Ladakhis' lives, most part of which is spend in the numbing stillness of winter. But they don't hate these hills.

In fact, through the court dance, Shondol Tse, they salute the hills. Dancers clang their bangles made of sea shells and salute these majestic pillars of nature. But it is the Char Tse or peacock dance that matches the mood of the times. Clad in the colourful robes and wearing turquoise-studded head gear called perak, women dance together to welcome the advent of spring. (In most of the houses, perak is their only costly possession, which is inherited by the eldest daughter of the family).

Another dance for reflecting seasonal glamour is `Mentog Stanmo' or the flower dance, popular in the Wakha, Mulbek and the Nubra Valley. Men and women, dressed in traditional costumes and holding bunches of flowers in their hands dance to greet the festival of flowers.

All dances are accompanied by music playedusing same type of instruments with subtle variations. Ladhakis boast of having more than 350 tunes or lharnas.

Certain dance forms, like alay yatowa, are based on local fables. Also there are dance forms for social occasions, like marriage. Pakston Loo is one such form which is performed when the groom's party goes to bring the bride from her house.

Adding to the spirit of this dance is Chang, a mildly alcoholic barley beer. And as glasses of Chang exchange hands, the spirits soar and the feet fumble. But nobody cares for a step missed. After all, all celebration is to concrete mutual trust and peaceful living.

This again reflects in Tasbispa, the concluding song of any special occasion, where you repeatedly sing paeans praying for world peace.

This adds to the lingering serenity of this little land, where every whirl of a prayer wheel sends up a similar mantra which, after silently echoing on the mountains blends with the lingering quietness to bless this little land inthe clouds.