Sherpa Community Celebrates 2152nd Gyalpo Lhosar as New Year
The Sherpa community is celebrating the 2152nd Gyalpo Lhosar today, marking the beginning of their New Year. This traditional festival, observed on Shukla Pratipada during Falgun month, is being celebrated with various events and functions. The tradition was started during the reign of Bhutan’s ninth king, Ude Gungyal, and has now become a vibrant spring festival. Gyalpo Lhosar is observed by the Sherpa people in 22 districts presently, having widened from the original 12 districts as the people have spread across regions. The festival is also divided into 12 categories: Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon (Cloud), Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Bird, Dog, and Boar, each representing a part of the cycle. The name of the festival, Gyalpo Lhosar, is also not consistent with various people using it as “Gyalbo.” Tika Sherpa, a scholar, added that the festival, over the years, has evolved into what it is today with other communities including the Gurung and Tamang also celebrating their own New Year festivals, which include Tamü Lhosar and Sonam Lhosar, respectively, in the months of Poush and Magh. The grand celebrations continue until the full moon (Purnima), when the Sherpa community comes together to celebrate the onset of a new year with the traditional music, dance, and cultural performances.
