Gurungs get set for Tamu Lhosar

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 29: The Gurung community is marking Tamu Lhosar, their New Year, on Tuesday by organizing various programs across the country, including in Kathmandu.

The Gurung community has been celebrating Tamu Lhosar on a week-long basis. The Tamu Lhosar Main Organizing Committee informed that the festival, observed as the New Year, is being celebrated with a series of programmes at Tundikhel.

The Gurungs mark Tamu Lhosar as their New Year on Poush 15 every year. In the Gurung language, 'Lho' stands for class and 'Sar' for change.

The Gurungs divide their year into 12 cycles, each represented by a different animal — Garuda (eagle), serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog, deer, mouse, cow, tiger, and cat — which they call “lho.” During each Lhosar, they bid farewell to the existing 'lho' and welcome a new one.

This year, the Gurung community will celebrate Lhosar by bidding farewell to the Snake cycle and welcoming the Horse cycle, said Raju Gurung, coordinator of the committee.

In Kathmandu, the Gurungs will organize several programmes, with a special event at Tundikhel, to mark their annual festival on Tuesday. The three-day celebration, which started on Sunday with sports programmes and an open Lok Dohari Song competition, will continue on Monday. Cultural dance competitions will be held on Monday and Tuesday, he added.

The Tamu Lhosar Main Organizing Committee will also hold a cultural rally passing through New Road, Ratnapark, and Bhadrakali before ending at Tundikhel.

The festival is celebrated with much fanfare, with community members exchanging greetings and feasting on traditional cuisine. Stalls at Tundikhel will showcase special Gurung cuisines, including pork, duck, and chicken.

Throughout the week, activities such as exchange of greetings, tea gatherings, book releases, literary honours, sports programmes, folk dance competitions, cultural programmes, and formal ceremonies will be organized, according to the committee.