Festival · Rumtek
Losar at Rumtek
Losar, the Tibetan new year, is celebrated at Rumtek, the Karma Kagyu seat inaugurated on Losar 1966. In the days before, monks perform protector dances to clear the old year's obstacles; then families visit the monastery in their best clothes with offerings.
Rumtek has a special tie to Losar: the 16th Karmapa formally inaugurated the rebuilt monastery as the Dharma Chakra Centre on Losar in 1966. The new year is still the biggest occasion in its calendar. In the last days of the old year, the monks perform cham, masked protector dances meant to drive out the obstacles and negative forces of the year that is ending, followed by the burning of ritual offerings.
On Losar itself, the mood changes. Families from the villages around Rumtek and from Gangtok come in new clothes, bringing khadas (white scarves), butter and grain, and the courtyard fills with prayer, greetings and new prayer flags. Homes make khapse, fried pastries, and serve butter tea and chang. Visitors are welcome to watch quietly from the edges.
Losar falls in February or March and its date changes each year. Rumtek is about 24 km from Gangtok, so it works as a half-day or full-day trip, or stay nearby for an early start. Expect security checks at the gate and carry photo ID. Check current status and dates before you travel.
Tips
- Confirm the dance dates locally: the cham before Losar is the main visual event, and it is not on Losar day itself.
- Leave Gangtok early or stay near Rumtek; shared taxis fill fast on festival mornings.
- Bring a khada if you wish to make an offering, and keep to the edges of the courtyard during rituals.
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 celebrated at Rumtek?
Losar, the Tibetan new year, falls in February or March on a date set by the lunar calendar. At Rumtek, the masked protector dances are held in the last days of the old year, just before Losar. Dates change annually, so confirm with the monastery office or your Gangtok hotel and check current status before you travel.
Why is Losar important at Rumtek?
Besides being the new year, Losar is the anniversary of Rumtek's rebirth: the 16th Karmapa inaugurated the rebuilt monastery as the Dharma Chakra Centre on Losar in 1966, after arriving from Tibet in 1959. The festival is the monastery's biggest occasion, drawing families from across East Sikkim.
How do we get to Rumtek from Gangtok for Losar?
Rumtek is about 24 km from Gangtok, roughly an hour by road. Shared taxis leave from Gangtok for about ₹80–150 a seat, but fill quickly on festival mornings, so go early. A reserved car costs roughly ₹1,500–2,500 for the return trip. Carry photo ID for the security check at the monastery gate.
Can visitors photograph the Losar dances at Rumtek?
Photography from the courtyard edges is usually allowed during outdoor dances, but rules can differ by day and inside prayer halls it is often not allowed. Never use flash, never step onto the dance ground and follow any instruction from monks or stewards. Ask before photographing families making offerings.
Trips for festival time
