Type Religious Festival Time 15 Days In February Location Himalayan Regions Just around the
The festival is celebrated according to the Tibetan calendar, which is based on the Chinese system of measuring time. The calendar is based on the 12-year cycles and 60-year cycles of Jupiter. The 12-year cycle is used for short periods and the particular year, as in the Chinese style, bears the name of one or the other of the 12 cyclic animals. In the case of the 60-year cycle, these animals are combined with the five elements and each element is given a pair of animals, the first being considered the male and the second female. Since the calendar is lunar, Lhosar falls sometime in February on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice.
Lhosar originated some time before Buddhism spread in Tibet and can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist animist period. Earlier, the Tibetan New Year was celebrated during the winter solstice to celebrate the return of the sun but one king changed the dates from December to February, which turned Lhosar into a spring-time festival.
Though the main focus of the festival remains the same in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Darjeeling and Ladakh, the dates and some of the rituals vary from one ethnic group to another.
Northeast & Himachal Pradesh
The festival is celebrated over a period of three to five days in these regions by Tibetans, Sherpas, Tamangs, Bhutias, Gurungs and a few other ethnic groups. Preparations begin much earlier with wheat germs being planted a month in advance so that they reach the required height when it is time for them to be placed as an offering on the family shrines during Lhosar. The festival is more of an intimate family affair rather than a large social gathering. On the first day, people remain in their houses and drink changkol, a brew made out of rice, barley or millets with eggs, sweet meats and dry fruits added to it. Other special food prepared during the festival are khapsyos which are sweet pastries made out of flour, thukpa and dresil, a sweet rice preparation. Children are blessed by the elders of the family and offer prayers at the family altar. During the days that follow, people go to monasteries to offer prayers, visit family members, drink, eat and make merry.
One special ritual performed during Lhosar is when family members gather to have gutuk. This soupy concoction contains dough balls within which are hidden nine different kinds of materials such as coal, wood, cotton, chilli, etc. Each material signifies a different aspect of one’s personality – coal signifies a black heart; chilli means one has a sharp tongue and so on. Family members share each other’s results and tease each other lightheartedly.
The festival also has an interesting ceremony where a little dough man called lue is kept in a dish. Throughout the evening, this figure represents all that is undesired in the family. Each family gets a bit of dough, which he or she waves over or presses to parts of his or her body, with the hope that all the evil within them will be purged. The bits of dough then get hurled onto the dish with the effigy.
Later on, everybody spares a little soup, which is poured into the dish with the figure. A flame is also kept on the dish. One member of the family takes the dish to the nearest crossroad and leaves it there. While doing so he/ she must not look back at the house. The idea behind this is that all the evil attached to the dough man gets confused and never returns to the house.
Ladakh
Unlike the other communities that follow Tibetan Buddhism, Ladakhis celebrate Lhosar during the month of December around winter solstice. As the story goes, a 17th century king called Jamyang Namgyal decided to lead an expedition against the Balti forces but since new year was just around the corner he was advised against making any such move. Having made up his mind already the king decided to shift the festival date two months prior to the actual date and ever since Ladakhis celebrate new year on the first day of the 11th lunar month. The festival is celebrated over a period of seven days in this region.
Pre-festival preparations include cleaning and painting houses, buying new clothes and preparing a variety of food including khura (the same as khapsyo), tutu (a deep-fried variety of finger food), chang, thukpa and a whole lot of meat ranging from mutton to deer meat. People begin the festival by lighting butter lamps and offering prayers. Houses and shrines are illuminated with lights in the evening itself.
On the day of the new year, people hang images of ibex, a symbol of fertility, on the doors and walls of the kitchen. Also, ibex images made of dough are placed on kitchen shelves. Later on these edible figurines are distributed amongst little children. While the elders of the family remain at home, the younger members go out to meet family members and honour them by placing white silk scarves called khatas around their necks.
During the last few days of the festival people visit local monasteries to offer prayers and enjoy a cup of gur-gur chai with the lamas there. It was once common for men to enjoy the thrills of horse-racing during the festival but this tradition is no longer followed.
The procession of fire called ‘Metho’ takes place in the evening. The streets and alleys of Leh come alive with people holding flaming torches and chanting prayers. These prayers are meant to ward off evil spirits and hungry ghosts who haunt people for their bad karma. The procession ends with the torches being thrown out of the town to bid adieu to the old year and welcome the new year.
Two days after Lhosar, families gather on their terraces with plates that consist of khatas, tutu, three deer figurines and mats made of deer skin. After offering three prostrations, family elders use arrows covered with half-burnt chapattis, especially prepared by the matriarch of the family, to shoot at the deer-skin mat. This ritual is believed to ward off evil-spirits and protect the family from any harm or diseases.
festivals of India
Lhosar
Tibetan New Year
