Tamu Loshar

tamu loshar

Tamu Loshar is a great festival in Nepal. It is celebrate by Gurung community. The word Tamu defines the meaning of group of gurung community. Loshar means New Year. Tamu Loshar is the beginning of gurungs’ calendar year/ gurung Sambat. This festival is celebrate with great enthusiasm. Each Loshar farewell the passing year and welcome new one. Gurung divide time in cycle of twelve years. Each year is divide/represented by twelve animals. The animals are: Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Garuda, Serpent, Dog, Bird, Mouse, Deer, Cow, Tiger and Cat. The animals are call as “Iho”. Usually, Gurung are Buddhist. They follow Hindu rituals and traditions.

Date of Festival

Tamu Loshar is celebrate in every year. It falls in 15th Poush every year according to the Nepali Bikram Sambat Calendar. This festival date doesn’t vary. It is on 30 December, 2020 according to the English Georgian calendar. Poush 15 denotes end of winter and beginning of spring season. Jungle starts blooming everywhere with Rhododendrons flower.

How do we celebrate Tamu Loshar?

Loshar is a festival of Gurung for reuniting the family and relatives. They visit Gumba/Monasteries early in the morning. They perform their own prayers there and receive blessings, prosperity and happiness. The monasteries and Gumba are decorate with beautiful color lights and papers. Each home of Gurung people raises their prayer flag on the roof of their house. Gurung people take part in rallies of their traditional attires. They carry their prayer flag and walk over the city/village.

There are many Gurung communities in cities. They migrated from their village to city for proper facility of education and job. To make their tradition alive, they form a community which is call Samajh Ghar. In Loshar they conduct programmes in their Samajh Ghar. They go there with traditional dress and clothes. Eating, dancing and meeting relative are the big part of celebration. They exchange their greetings to elder and younger.

In this festival, long lost friends are meet and relatives are introduce to community. This helps new generation to exposure their culture and tradition. It saves the tradition and rituals among new generation. They flutter their prayer flag. They cook varieties of food items and snacks. The major food cooked is Sel Roti, Achhar and Local Chicken Curry.  Nothing can beat this taste and combination of food.

Loshar is traditionally celebrate for three days including Banbhoj (Picnic) too.

What does Gurung wear in Loshar?

The men wear Bhangra. Bhangra is a white cloth shirt which is tie across the chest. It is open like a bag at the back. It was use for carrying things in back in ancient days. Gurung women, lady, children and adolescents wear maroon velvet Ghalek and Gunyo Cholo. They pair dress with Gold accessories and stone necklaces or semi precious jewelllery.

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