Gurung people celebrate Tamu Lhosar with fanfare and rejoicing

KATHMANDU: The Gurung community celebrated the Tamu Lhosar festival with great fanfare and rejoicing on Monday, bidding adieu to the Year of Parrot and welcoming the Year of Snake.

The 12 animals in the Gurung calendar are cow, tiger, cat, parrot, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog, deer and rat.

The main celebration was organized on the Tundikhel grounds in Kathmandu. People of the Gurung community participated in Lhosar festivities wearing their traditional attire.

Gurung community leaders believe that Tamu Lhosar is connected to the sun’s rays. It is believed that the sunlight in Nepal first reaches the districts with large Gurung populations, including Lamjung, Gorkha, Tanahu, Syangja, Manang, Kaski, and Parvat. As the sun’s warmth reaches areas inhabited by Tamang and Sherpa communities, they celebrate their new year in the months of Magh and Falgun, respectively.

The festival also coincides with the winter solstice, after which the nights gradually become shorter.

(Translated from RSS)