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Losar Celebration

The Losar (New Year) celebration is followed by Galdan Namchot, the birth anniversary of Tsogkha pa who founded the Gelukpa School. During Namchot people illuminate their houses, monasteries and mountains and make offerings in the houses and monasteries. The Losar festival is celebrated in the tenth month of Tibetan calendar, two months ahead of Tibetan New Year. In the early 17th century, King Jamyang Namgyal decided to lead an expedition against the Baltistan forces in winter; therefore he decided to celebrate the festival two months earlier. Later it became traditional to celebrate it in the tenth month of Tibetan calender. The festival lasts for around a month, during which Gods, deities, ancestors and even the animals are fed without fail. Images of Ibex are made as auspicious symbols and dotted all over the walls of Ladakhi kitchens to bring prosperity for the coming year. The Metho (procession of fire) processes, chanting slogans and chasing hungry ghosts and evil spirits, returning with rocks of ice as auspicious symbols. In some villages there is a tradition of making old snow-men and snow-women which last for about a week. Overall in Losar all the children, young and old enjoy and celebrate the festival. All family members get together to celebrate; if a family member is missing, they fill cups of tea in their name.