Tamu Lhosar marked with fanfare

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 31: The Gurung community on Tuesday marked ‘Tamu Lhosar’, their New Year, by organising various programmes across the country, including in Kathmandu.

A crowded yet cheerful atmosphere, moments of excitement, a feeling of oneness, and the vibrant colours of traditional Gurung attire defined the scene at Tundikhel on Tuesday.

Women, beautifully dressed in ghalek and jewellery, and men wearing traditional white kachhar, smiled in jubilation as they celebrated Tamu Lhosar with great fanfare.

Small children wearing Gurung attire and singing Gurung songs added more colour to the festival. Gurungs, forming groups, sang folk songs and danced traditional steps to mark the arrival of their new year.

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

The Gurung calendar is divided into 12 cycles, each represented by an animal—Garuda (eagle), serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog, deer, mouse, cow, tiger and cat—collectively known as “Lho.” During each Lhosar, the community bids farewell to the outgoing Lho and welcomes a new one.

This year, the Gurung community celebrated Lhosar by bidding farewell to the Snake cycle and welcoming the Horse cycle. The horse symbolises strength, courage, speed and hard work.

The Gurung community marks Tamu Lhosar with weeklong festivities. The Tamu Lhosar Main Organising Committee informed that the festival is being observed for a week by organising various programmes at Tundikhel.

In Kathmandu, the Gurung community organised several programmes, with a special main event at Tundikhel. Three-day special programmes, including sports events and an open Lok Dohori song competition, began on Sunday.

The Tamu Lhosar Main Organising Committee also organised a cultural rally that passed through New Road, Ratnapark and Bhadrakali before concluding at Tundikhel.

The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm by exchanging greetings and feasting on traditional cuisines.

Stalls at Tundikhel displayed special Gurung foods such as pork, duck and chicken.

Similarly, the Gurung community in Taplejung grandly celebrated Tamu Lhosar today, welcoming the New Year with a new calendar.

A cultural rally featuring traditional tableaux was taken out in the district headquarters of Phungling on the occasion. The rally toured the market area and reached the Gurung monastery, where programmes including greetings exchange were organised.

Community members participated in the rally wearing traditional costumes. Meanwhile, at a programme organised at the monastery premises, greetings were exchanged among representatives of local bodies, government and non-government offices, and various organisations, said Devraj Gurung, Chairman of the Monastery Management Committee.

Chairman Gurung said that an inter-club men’s football competition was also organised to mark the occasion.