Festival · Kalimpong
Namsoong, the Lepcha New Year
The Lepcha New Year, celebrated in Kalimpong and the Lepcha villages around it in December or January. Prayers led by Lepcha priests, traditional dress, food and dances mark the turn of the year for the people who were in these hills first.
The Lepcha, who call themselves Rong, are the oldest people of the Kalimpong and Sikkim hills, and their villages, from Lolegaon to Charkhole, still dot the Kalimpong ridges. Namsoong is their New Year, timed by the Lepcha lunar calendar to fall in December or January.
In Kalimpong the celebration is organised by Lepcha community bodies over several days, with rituals led by Lepcha priests, cultural programmes, exhibitions of traditional dress, crafts and food, and songs and dances. The story most often told around Namsoong is a Lepcha legend of the victory of light over a demon of darkness; take it as the community's own story, told in its own way.
For travellers this is a chance to see Lepcha culture as a living thing rather than a museum piece: the striped handwoven dress, the cane hats, the food. Programmes are organised locally and the venue and dates are announced late, so ask your hotel or at the Lepcha Museum in town.
Tips
- Ask at your hotel or the Lepcha Museum in Kalimpong for the year's programme and venue.
- Ask before photographing rituals and elders, and follow the organisers' lead on where to stand.
- Dates follow the Lepcha lunar calendar and change each year: check current status before you travel.
Most hill festivals follow lunar calendars, so dates move each year. Check current status before you travel.
Questions people ask
Good to know
What is Namsoong?
Namsoong is the New Year festival of the Lepcha people, the oldest community of the Kalimpong and Sikkim hills. It is celebrated in December or January according to the Lepcha calendar, with rituals led by Lepcha priests, traditional dress, food, music and dance. In Kalimpong it is organised by community associations over several days.
Can tourists attend Namsoong in Kalimpong?
Public cultural programmes are usually open to all, and visitors are welcome if they are respectful. Rituals may be more private. Ask the organisers before photographing, dress modestly and follow where locals sit or stand. The programme and venue are announced locally each year, so check current status before you travel.
When is Namsoong celebrated?
Namsoong falls in December or January, following the Lepcha lunar calendar, so the exact dates move each year. It often overlaps with the Christmas and New Year holiday period, when Kalimpong is cold, dry and clear. Ask locally or watch Lepcha community announcements, and check current status before you travel.
Where can I learn about Lepcha culture in Kalimpong?
Start at the Lepcha Museum on the edge of Kalimpong town, then visit a Lepcha village such as Lolegaon or Charkhole and stay in a homestay. If your dates allow, attend Namsoong in December or January, or the 20 December gathering at Damsang fort near Pedong for the Lepcha chief Gaeboo Achyok.