Lhosar is new yearr
clebration espcially in buddist people in different parts of Nepal. Its is
hightly clebrated by the tamang and gurung society . Besides its also popularly
celebrated by Sherpa, Gurung, Thakali and some others
Generally there are three type of loshar clebrated
as Tamu Lhosar, Sonam Lhosar, and Gyalbo Lhosar. Tamu or the Tola Lhosar
is celebrated by the Gurung community, Sonam Lhosar is celebrated by the Tamang
and Yolmo communities, whereas Gyalbo Lhosar is the festival of the Sherpa and
Tibetan communities living in the hilly terrain.
The literal meaning of losar is New Year and
follows the cycle of 12 years called Lohokor. Barga (Lo)is the special
name given to each year and represented by different animals with its reputed
attributes like mouse, cow, tiger, cat, garuda, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey,
bird, dog and deer,. The cycle of animals is arranged in a single circle
printed on a paper or a cloth. In Nepal when there was no calendar, the 12
rotation system was used to calculate peoples’ ages.
On
the very day of the festival the people visit the monasteries and stupas to
pray, worship and have blessing from the monks for happiness and wellbeing. The
stupas, monasteries, houses rooftop and mountain top are decorated with new
colorful prayer flags and colorful decorative items to bring peace and harmony
to the nation. The ethnic people clad in their traditional costumes perform
their cultural singing and dancing welcoming the New Year with feasts and
family gathering. On the occasion of Loshar the Government of Nepal announces
public holidays. So, the festival is celebrated in the full swing across the
country.
There are three types of Losar
in Nepal. Tamu Losar, Sonam Losar and Gyalpo Losar..
Tamu loshar:– Tamu losar is celebrated by the Gurungs
community living in the laps of the Mountain Daulagiri and Mountain Annapurna.
Gurungs are the indigenous people from Nepal and called Tamu, another name of
Gurungs. Gurungs are famous in the Gorkha army for their bravery in the Ist
World War and the 2nd World War.
They are trusted, obedient and disciplined soldiers.
According
to our Calendar, every year,15 Poush is the day to celebrate Tamu Loshar
whereas in English calander, it falls in the month of December/January. The
date signifies the end of the shorter days and the start of the longer days
bringing warmness and charm.
On
the eve of the festival, the lama, the spiritual teacher, establishes the
statue of Buddha at each and every house and burn incense and commence the new
year. Sel roti ( Rice circle bread), Achar ( Pickle), Meat, homemade rice Beer
and Wine are served. People gather in the courtyard to celebrate the festive in
the rural areas where as in cities people gather in a common place and parade
around the cities rejoicing cultural procession to mark the New Year.
Sonam Loshar:- Sonam loshar is celebrated by the Tamangs
community dwelling in the central highlands of Nepal as well around Kathmandu
Valley. Tamangs are the indigenous people from Nepal. They have their own
culture and dialects which distinguish them from other ethnic groups. Tamang
means Horse Traders.
Sonam
Loshar falls on the first new moon of the month Magh in Nepali Calendar,
somewhere in the early January to mid February. So, the date varies in every
Sonam Loshar. It is celebrated for 15 days although the first three days have
the main celebrations.
The
Tamangs clean and decorate their house welcoming the new year and visit the
monasteries and stupas in their traditional costumes. Buddhist monasteries
perform masked dances and rituals to drive away the negative forces and bring
positive for the family and the nation.
In
villages, Tamangs decorate their doors and windows with colorful paper and
cloth and sweep their houses sweeping all the misfortunes and bringing Good
Luck, Long Life and Happiness. Pork, duck, chicken and sweet desert with rice
beer and wine are served in family gathering as in cities people gather in a
common place and go around the cities rejoicing cultural procession.
Gyalpo Loshar:- Gyalpo Loshar is celebrated by the Sherpa
community living in the Himalayan region in Nepal. They have distinct dialect
and culture. They are world famous mountain climbers and the first one to scale
Mount Everest in Nepal, the highest mountain in the world. People from Tamang,
Bhutia and Yolmo too celebrate this festive.
It
is the celebration of Tibetan New Year falls that in the month of February in
English Calender. It is made up of twelve lunar months and losar begins on the
first day of the first month. The day of Loshar begins on the 29th day of the 12thmonth
calendar. It is celebrated typically for almost two weeks. Preparation of
festive begins by making special Sherpa snack Khapse,a deep- fried pasty which
is commonly eaten during the festive.
In
ancient times, people went to the local spring to perform rituals of gratitude.
Offerings were made to the Nagas, or water spirits, who activated the water
element in the area, and smoke offerings were made to the local spirits
associated with the natural world. These rituals took place for an entire month
leading up to New Year day.
The
houses are cleaned, specially the kitchen has to be cleaned properly because it
is place where the family prepares the food. Chimneys are also cleaned from
inside. Some special dishes are cooked for the new year ceremony. One of the
dishes is a soup served with dumplings called Guthuk. The soup is made from
meat, rice, sweet potatoes, wheat, Yak cheese, peas, green peppers, vermicelli
and radishes. Sometimes, different hidden items are used in fillings for the
dumplings. The items are chilies, wood, paper and pebbles. People comment
on the nature (character) of the person on the findings inside his/her
dumplings. If one finds wood means he has wooden heart, etc. This is done for enjoyment.
During
the festival, people recall the struggle between the good and the evil in their
ceremonial dance and Lama chants mantras and passes the fire torches through
the crowds. People perform the traditional dance battle encounter between the
king and the deer and amuse the spectators.
The
date of the three Losars varies but the outcome is same. It is a festival of
reunion of the families, relatives and friends to unite together for partying,
merry making, exchanging gifts and greetings. So, the people could revitalise
to start fresh with zeal for more progress and harmony in terms of spiritual,
mental and physical.
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