KATHMANDU: The Gurung community across Nepal is celebrating the Tamu Lhosar festival today, marking the end of the old year and the beginning of the New Year.
The term Lhosar is derived from “Lho,” meaning year, and “Sar,” meaning change, symbolizing the transition to a new year. Tamu Lhosar is observed with great enthusiasm as the New Year festival of the Gurung community.
The festival is closely linked to the movement of the sun and is celebrated in December in Gurung-populated districts such as Lamjung, Gorkha, Tanahun, Syangja, Manang, Kaski, and Parbat, where the warmth of the sun is felt earlier.
It is believed that similar New Year festivals are celebrated later by the Tamang and Sherpa communities as the sun’s warmth reaches their regions afterward.
Experts note that the festival also holds astronomical significance, as the night of Poush 15 (December 30) is the longest of the year, after which nights gradually begin to shorten. In recognition of the cultural importance of Tamu Lhosar, the government has declared a public holiday today.
To mark the occasion, the Gurung community is organizing a special celebration at Tundikhel in Kathmandu. Participants are attending the program in traditional attire, and various traditional Gurung dishes are being showcased. The Lhosar festivities began at Tundikhel on Sunday, with thousands of people taking part in the celebrations.
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