Sonam Losar
Lho means year or age and Sar means new or fresh. The word Lhosar means New Year or beginning of new era. Tamang celebrate their
new year on the first day of new moon or in other words the very next day after the no-moon day of month of Magh (Magh Sukla Pratipada).
When is Sonam Losar
This year Sonam Losar is on Magh 29, 2069 as per Bikram Sambat Calendar and on February 11, 2013 in English Calendar. This year it is 2848th year of Tamang’s New Year celebration. The Tibetan calendar is made up of twelve lunar months and Lhosar begins on the first day of the first month. However, the days of celebration differs in different Tibeto-
Burman communities.
सोनाम ल्होसार
Sonam Losar falls on different dates each year in Bikram Sambat and English calendar. This calendar is
ancient Tibetan/Chinese lunar calendar. The New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the
winter solstice (rarely the third if an intercalary month intervenes). That is it is on Magh Sukla Pratipada,
under eastern lunar calendar.
Tamang has a tradition of counting year with association of symbols of 12 different animals. It starts with
Rat and ends on Boar.
The twelve animals of the Tamang years
Tamang New Years Start date and Animal Associated with the years
Note: The new year celebration dates may vary one or two days
How do we celebrate Sonam Losar
The last day of 12th month of the year is a time to clean and prepare a welcoming atmosphere for New Year.
The monasteries perform a special ritual with mask dance to expel negative forces The New Year
celebration varies. People go to Monasteries, Stupas and Chaityas and perform ceremonial rituals there.
People buy new dresses and decorate their houses according to their living standards. Tradition is there every
family member thoroughly cleans their house to sweep away any bad fortune in hopes to make way for good
incoming luck. Windows and doors are decorated with colorful papers and cloths and couplets with popular
themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". People get together and have dinner with
families.
The feasts include items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet deserts.
Musical programs are performed with Tamang Selo in the beat of Damfu.
Now-a-days Tamangs in Kathmandu and nearby gather in Tudikhel to celebrate of Soman Losar. They
organized different programs there. The attractions are generally pooja, Lok Dohari competitions, Food Festivals,
Dramas, etc.
Tamangs are seen in their own costume dresses. The Tudekhel (Open public ground in heart of Kathmandu
city) is full with the crowd with Losar celebrations. Women and girls wear their dresses and jewelry and most
of them wear a traditional hat.
Losar brings joy to all Tamang and Nepali as a whole.
Tamang and their history in Brief
Tamang is one of the largest communities in Nepal. Tamang are about 8% of total population of Nepal.
Tamang are very ancient tribe of Nepal and are the original people of Yambu. Tamang is made up of two words,
Ta is Horse and Mang is Rider. It is assumed that they were connected with business of horse trading or riding,
some view it differently, and they consider Tamang as Horse warriors.
Large numbers of Tamang people live in the middle hilly region to Himalayan range of Nepal including Capital
city Kathmandu. Tamang have generally been lived in districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakkot, Dhading, Makawanpur,
Chitwan, Sindhupalchok, Kavrepalanchok, Dolakha, Ramechhap and Sindhuli. However, they are now all
over Nepal, and even in so many countries around the world. Some of them are migrated to eastern India
especially to Darjaling, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Asham, Nagaland and Guhati, so as to Bhutan and Burma.
Tamang are very rich in their tradition and culture. They have their own language, culture, dresses and
social structure. Tamang generally believes in Buddhism. It is said 90% of Tamang are following Buddism
as their religion. Tamang language is one of the members of Tibaten Burmeli family.
The Tamangs have their own music. Their musical instrument is called Damphu. It is a small round drum where
one side of the circular wood is covered by the skin of a goat and is joined with thirty two small bamboo
pencil-like pieces.
It is said long back, Tamang used to move from places to places for food and shelters. They live
on wild fruits, yams and animals’ meat. They used to hunt for the food all day long and share food with the
people living together in the temporary shelters. Once it happened, a leader of a group named Peng Dorjay
went for hunting food along with some members, they were empty hands throughout the day. In the evening
they were returning back home without food, the leader saw a goat grazing on a high cliff. He aimed his arrow
at the goat and killed the goat. He skinned off the goat and dried the skin on the under the sun. As soon the
skin went dry, he made a small, round drum and started playing it, thanking God for food. The same drum is
called Damphu.
Tamang songs are known as Tamang selo. There are songs of humor and wit, philosophical thoughts, and
of life's joys and sorrows. Tamang Selo has transcended the boundaries of linguistic, cultural and social
limits. Tamang Selo music is one of the very popular Nepali music through Nepal.
Fyafulla !!! Tashi Delek
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