Sometime around January 2023, we made an impromptu plan to visit Sikkim to experience Losar Festival. We only had one piece of information: Losar is celebrated in Rumtek Monastery, which is a ride away from Gangtok.
We packed our bags and were ready to go, but little did we know that the celebrations in Rumtek happen two days before the main event on Lama Losar.
Losar is Tibetan New Year and primarily celebrated across three days. Sikkim isn’t the only place where you can experience the festivities, but it is closest to West Bengal, and accessible to us back then.
Losar Festival 2024 begins on February 10, and the main event day is February 12.
Here is all you need to know if you’re planning to visit any of the places that welcome the spirit of the Tibetan New Year.
What is Losar?
The Losar festival is celebrated according to the lunar alignments. The name stands for New (Lo) and Year (Sar). It is celebrated every February between the new moon and the full moon.
Losar festival dates 2024 suggest February 10, and the festivities will continue till February 25. But the main event is February 12, 2024.
Like most New Year’s in Indian states, Losar too is welcomed with home cleaning, painting, and decluttering for abundance and happiness.
The first day of the celebrations is called Lama Losar. On this day, Losar celebrators decorate their houses with eight auspicious elements to bring in the festivities.
But the fun lies on the second day as it is dedicated to Gyalpo Losar. On this day, people perform a traditional mask dance called Aji Lhamu and greet each other for good luck and prosperity. Some places also have processions where torches are lit to ward off evils.
On the last day, Choe-Kyong Losar, people donate food and clothes and share offerings to local monasteries. They make sculptures with butter, burn juniper leaves, sing the songs of Losar, and wear traditional clothes. People get together and have a grand feast with local delights.
Interesting facts about the Losar festival
- During pre-Buddhist times, Tibetans followed the Bon religion
- Most people who celebrate Losar follow Buddhism now, but Losar existed before the onset of the religion
- During the reign of Pude Gungyal, the 9th king of Tibet, a lady taught locals how to measure time according to lunar alignments
- Losar began as a festival for farmers to welcome spring as it marked the time for receding winters
- Losar is a farmer’s festival that marks a new season to grow fresh produce
- The onset of a New Year marked a time for flowers to bloom again on apricot trees
Losar festival is celebrated in which state?
Here are the places to experience Losar festival in February:
Losar festival of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh shares borders with Tibet and undoubtedly has tribes of Tibetan descent.
Notably, the people of the Monpa tribe from Arunachal have been inhabitants since 500 BC.
The festivities of Losar start with the intention to ward off negativity and welcome a new year with a fresh mindset.
If you’re planning to visit the best place to celebrate Losar, you have to come to Tawang during this time.
Leh Ladakh
If you know about Losar, there are chances you know it from Instagram reels shared of Leh Ladakh.
Since it is a more sought-after place to visit during receding winters, Losar celebrated here has been much hyped and for all the right reasons.
If you plan to come here, make sure you visit Namgyal Monastery to experience the Cham Dance that brings in the New Year in whole spirit.
Bodh Gaya
If Bihar is more accessible to you, visiting Bodh Gaya during Losar will welcome you to festive spirits.
Bodh Gaya was the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment for the first time.
It has massive Buddhist significance and Tibetan inhabitants celebrate the festival in full swing.
Himachal Pradesh
If Leh Ladakh is too far for you, Himachal is another place where you can experience Losar.
As the state has several monasteries, Losar festivities are typical here as well.
Manali, Shimla, Spiti, Mcloedganj, and Dharamshala are places where you can experience this festival.
The Losar festival Sikkim
Even though we missed the authentic glimpses of Losar in Sikkim, here is how you should not miss it.
When you check the date of the Losar Festival, you will probably find the main date show up.
It is day 3, or Choe-Kyong Losar, but the festivities begin 2 days prior on Lama Losar.
Losar in Sikkim is a primary attraction due to the festivities of Rumtek Monastery.
While there are stays near the monastery, there aren’t many sites to see within the area.
Booking a car and taking a day trip to explore Banjhakri Falls, Rumtek and Rangka Monastery can cover your 1 day Sikkim itinerary.
But if you’re coming for Losar, I’d recommend you to come at least 2-3 days before the main event.
We reached Sikkim on the second day of Losar.
While we did go to Rumtek on the following day, we found out that the festival happened on Lama Losar, which was the first day.
The festivities that begin before the main event help you explore more of the cultural aspects than the New Year day that has an after-party vibe.
Although we thought we didn’t experience anything in Sikkim during Losar, we were at the right time at MG Marg to meet and greet locals.
To our surprise, celebratory events include locals wearing traditional attire in black and orange hues.
They were singing the songs of Losar and taking pictures with tourists.
Check out the reel for the visual experience of this post.
View this post on Instagram
Final thoughts
I hope you visit any of these destinations before the primary date of Losar. If you’re following the lunar calendar, make sure you reach two days before the new moon, and you’re good to go.
For more assistance, connect with me via email, and I will share the number of the local guide who took us across Sikkim.
I offer this service for free as my motive is to bring business to the local people I know through my travel journeys.
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