Festival · Lachung
Losar in Lachung and Lachen
Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is the biggest festival of the Bhutia villages of Lachung and Lachen. Families clean and decorate their homes, visit the monastery, share food and drink and gather with relatives. In deep winter, it is the village at its warmest.
The Lachungpas and Lachenpas are Bhutias, and Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is their most important festival of the year. It falls on the first day of the first Tibetan lunar month, usually in February or early March. Celebrations last several days, beginning with the cleaning of houses and the preparation of special food, and continuing with prayers, family visits and community gatherings.
Homes are decorated, butter lamps are lit, and families visit Lachung Monastery or Lachen's Ngodrub Choling gompa to offer prayers and receive blessings. Prayer flags are renewed on rooftops and ridges. Relatives who live in Gangtok or beyond often come home if the road allows. Food is generous: noodle soups, meat dishes, fried breads and home-made drinks.
Visitors are rare in these weeks, because it is deep winter and the road is often closed by snow. If you are in Lachung or Lachen at Losar, you are a guest at a family festival, not a show. Ask your host what is appropriate, accept food when offered, and check current status before you travel.
Tips
- Ask your homestay host before visiting the monastery during Losar rituals.
- Bring a small gift such as fruit or sweets if you are invited into a home.
- Plan spare days; snow can close the Lachung and Lachen roads around Losar.
Most hill festivals follow lunar calendars, so dates move each year. Check current status before you travel.
Questions people ask
Good to know
When is Losar in Lachung?
Losar falls on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, usually in February or early March. Celebrations in Lachung and Lachen last several days. Dates change every year; check the Tibetan calendar and confirm with your homestay or agent.
Can tourists join Losar celebrations in Lachung?
Tourists staying in Lachung or Lachen at Losar may be invited to share food and see family and monastery celebrations, but it is a private, religious festival, not a staged event. Ask your host what is appropriate and follow their lead.
Is Lachung open during Losar?
Usually, but Losar falls in winter, when snow can close the road to Lachung, and especially beyond to Yumthang and Zero Point. Tours may run with few passengers. Keep flexible dates and check current status before you travel.
What food is eaten at Losar?
Families prepare generous meals: noodle soups, meat dishes, momos, fried breads and sweets, along with butter tea and home-made drinks. Each family has its own specialities. If you stay in a homestay, you may get a taste of the festival meal.