For the Buddhist people, Losar is the beginning of a new year. Losar, which comes once a year, is their greatest festival. There are 12 symbolic animals in the Tibetan calendar, one for each year: Jiwa (mouse), Lang (Ox), Taa (Tiger), Hwe (Rabbit), Dug (Dragon), Dul (snake), Tabu (Horse), Lug (Sheep), Pre (Monkey), Jya (Bird) Khi (Dog), Fag/Faa (Wild Pig). Every twelve years, a cycle (lo-khorlo) is completed. This year is Dul-lo, the year of the snake.
A beautiful ritual of Losar is putting up Buddhist flags (darchhyo) in front of houses, on roof tops, Gumpas, mani-chhortens, and hills. Losar is a unique festival without any killing or sacrificing of animals. Khapse (fried bread), sweets, beaten rice, and fruits are collected and eaten on this day, and raksi (homemade alcohol), chhyang, and tongba are prepared at least six months in advance to ensure their potency for Losar.
Losar day is called Chheba Chyig or Chheba Gyi in Tamang dialect. Chhemar (mixture of wheat flour and butter) is important to Losar. First of all, signs made of Chhemar are put on foreheads and mouths before eating anything. The Lama performs a ritual prayer, and younger people get Tika (butter) with blessings from their elders and Lamas. Family members return home for Losar, with women bringing special gifts for their parents and parents-in-law. The festival continues until full-moon.
FILE PHOTO/REPUBLICA
In Tibetan language, “Lo” means “Year”, and “sar” means “new.” Thus, the combination of these words, “Losar”, means “New Year”. The word means the same across many ethnic communities like Tamangs, Sherpas, and Gurungs, Thakalis, Nubris, Lhopas, and Dolpos of hilly regions.
As for the meanings of Gyalpo and Sonam, opinions differ. Some say that in Tibetan language, Gyalpo means “King.” In early days, a king of Tibet happened to celebrate this Losar. Officers and royal family members followed suit and started celebrating this festival, with the result that later, it was converted into an official religious festival and called Gyalpo Losar. But nobody knows the exact date it started.
Other arguments also exist regarding the meaning of Gyalpo Losar. Jambala Lama from Kabhre is of the opinion that it is not Gyalpo Losar, but Gyallo Losar. In Tibetan mythology, there were several wars between gods and devils. Finally, gods won the war. Since then, people started celebrating this festival to commemorate this victory. Victory is called “Gyal” in Tibetan language, and combined with “lo” which means year, the day was called “Gyallo”. But Lama adds that now, people want to go beyond religious explanations.
The meaning of “Sonam” or “swenam” is “blessing”. This Losar marks the change of season, from cold to warm. After this day, people start working in fields, cattle farms or businesses after a long winter break. They ask the gods to bless them with good fortune and high productions among other things. So, Sonam Losar is called “Blessing Year” in Tibetan community.
In the context of Nepal, different ethnic communities celebrate different kinds of Losar. In my native Rasuwa, Gyalpo Losar was celebrated traditionally. The Tamang people from Langtang, Shyarpako, Khangjim, Briddim, Lingling, Timure (Sedang), Thuman, Syafrubesi, Thulosyafru, Brawal, and Gombogang villages still celebrate Gyalpo/Gyallo Losar as their major festival. Sanobharkhu and Thulobharkhu villages also celebrate Gyalpo Losar. But after indigenous people’s movement and Nepal Tamang Ghedung’s program, these two villages, along with the rest of the Tamang villages, began to celebrate Sonam Losar.
A religious festival is not just a celebration. Each festival must have a connection to its tradition, usages and practices.
After the political changes in the country in 1990, several indigenous peoples started celebrating Losar as their major festival. Sherpas had traditionally celebrated Gyalpo Losar, Tamangs started celebrating Sonam Losar, Gurungs started celebrating Tamu Losar which falls on 15 Poush, Magars marked their major festival on the first day of Magh and so on. However, Gurungs and Magars still follow the Bikram Sambat. Do these two groups have a rationale to celebrate their festivals according to Bikram Sambat when all Buddhist peoples follow the Lunar calendar? A religious festival is not just a celebration. Every culture has its unique identity from ancient times, and each festival must have a connection with its religion, tradition, usages, and practices. Therefore, my suggestion is that all indigenous Buddhist people should be united, and celebrate only one Losar.
Luckily this year, both Losars (Gyalpo and Sonam) fell on the same day. All Buddhist people were happy since they got to celebrate on the same day. Usually, Sonam Losar comes one month before Gyalpo Losar. This year, Tamangs celebrated Losar in Tundikhel, Kathmandu, for five days.
Like this year, if all Buddhist communities could celebrate Losar on the same day every year, we will have the power to bargain with the state to provide more official holidays for Losar. It will also send a good message to other societies. Different societies will admire our unity, and they too will be attracted to celebrate this festival, which entails no sacrifice and no violence.
The author is an advocate
phurpatamang10@gmail.com
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