Jammu and Kashmir, often abbreviated as J&K, is a region located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. Historically and culturally rich, this region has been a center of diverse traditions, languages, and landscapes.

Kashmirs history is rich and complex. It has ancient roots mentioned in the Mahabharata. The region saw Buddhist influence, including the Third Buddhist Council under King Kanishka. From ancient times, Kashmir was ruled by local kingdoms until the arrival of Muslim influence in the medieval period. Prominent among these rulers was Zain-ul-Abidin. The region later became a center of Islamic culture and learning. In modern times, Kashmir has been a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, with ongoing political tensions and conflicts.

The Hemis Festival is a vibrant and significant cultural and religious event celebrated in the Hemis Monastery, located in the Ladakh region of Kashmir. Held annually in June or July, the festival commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. The celebrations feature colorful masked dances known as Cham, performed by monks to the accompaniment of traditional music, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. The festival also includes elaborate rituals, prayers, and the display of a giant thangka (a religious painting), attracting both locals and tourists who come to witness the unique cultural heritage of the region.

Kashmiri lifestyle is essentially, irrespective of the differing religious beliefs, slow paced. The culture has been rich enough to reflect the religious diversity as tribes celebrate festivities that divert them from their otherwise monotonous way of life. While the Kashmir has been the highest learning center of Sanskrit and Persian where early Indo-Aryanic civilization has originated and flourished. Ladakh on the other hand, has been the highest and living center of Tantrayan Buddhism. Jammu, the same way, has been the seat of Rajas and Maharajas, which have cemented and enriched the cultural, historical and social bonds of all these diverse ethnic and linguistic divisions of the state.