INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Tibetan women gather near the great stupa at Boudhanath. Photo: Becky Carruthers.
to a specific animal (rabbit, dragon,
snake, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog,
pig, mouse, bull, or tiger) and element
(fire, earth, iron, water, or wood); the
New Year will be characterised by
corresponding traits.
The monks have had little sleep in the
previous week, waking up early and
chanting from morning until night. I join
them for the final day of the ceremony,
and I am transfixed. Smoke filters
through gaps between the banners that
cover the temple’s entrance. When a
monk passes, the large Tibetan infinity
knot sways back and forth. Mallets of
cloth hit drums stretched of leather
and reverberate the floor on which we
sit, cross-legged in rows. Brass horns
echo into the valley below.
Cultures around the world have
adopted their own ways to mark the
beginning and end of seasons. In
Nepal, groups across the country
recognise their own New Year holidays:
Tamu Losar is celebrated by the
Gurung people, Sonam Losar is the
Tamang equivalent, and Gyalpo Losar
is the Sherpa tradition. Since Tibet is
frequently closed to travelers during
Losar, Nepal is a fantastic substitute to
watch and participate in various New
Year activities. With influences from
Tibet and Bhutan, India and China, even
Malaysia and beyond, Nepal provides
travelers an experiential feast.
If you do find yourself lucky enough
to be in Tibet for the New Year, you’ll
find an enthusiastically celebrated
holiday. Losar has become a kind of
carnival for communities: parades,
sporting competitions, horse races,
and revelry. Homes and gardens are
scoured and cleaned to perfection, and
Chemar boxes can be found in each
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residence. These detailed containers
hold barley and tsampa, roasted flour
mixed with butter, sugar, and Tibetan
tea, all thought to bring good luck,
good health, and a flourishing harvest.
New paintings are hung and doors are
coloured with signs to welcome good
fortune and a long life. Gutu, a festive
New Year’s Eve dinner made of special
soup with balls of dough, is eaten with
levity. Doughy dumplings conceal
surprises for the diners: wool, pepper,
salt stones, even coins are hidden in
the centre. Depending on the item
found, unsuspecting family members
are thought to have some aspect of that
ingredient in their personality (a pepper
might signify a fast temper, a stone
could mean a stubborn heart).Barley
wine always lightens the atmosphere.
Areas throughout Tibet have adopted
their own customs: exorcisms and
jiaxie dances are performed in
Shigatse; communities around Gongbu
throw rocks into corners of houses to
scare ghosts, and dogs are invited to
participate in celebrations (depending
on which food the dog first consumes,
a hopeful or misfortune year is to
come); in Lhasa, horse racing draws
masses; and in Yushu, yaks are trained
to participate in contests.
Similar activities can be found
throughout Bhutan. Festivities begin
with Nyi Shu Gu, Losar New Year’s
Eve, and can last for two weeks. Some
of the same traditions found in Nepal
and Tibet are celebrated here, and
guthuk is heartily consumed, a creamy
noodle soup also containing surprise-
filled dumplings. Punakha, the old
capital of Bhutan, hosts celebrations
at the old palace Punakha Dzong.
Nestled at the crossroads of two
rivers, the area provides a beautiful
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
backdrop for annual festivals. Sweet
smells of sugar cane and green
bananas are plentiful and thought to
bring good luck for the coming year.
Local traditions colour Bhutanese
celebrations,
with
communities
incorporating their own customs and
beliefs into the holidays.
I watch an elder monk dance beneath
a silk costume with embroidered folds.
A mask balances precariously on his
head as he lifts his heavy boots to the
beat of hand-held cymbals. The rest of
the monks stand shoulder-to-shoulder,
the yellow plumes of their hats spilling
toward the ground. Once the last of
the Losar rituals has been performed,
I stand in line with the other attendees
to receive blessings from the oldest
lamas. Though the line wraps around
the temple, everyone is happy, smiling,
and excited. Small pieces of braided
thread are tied around our wrists.
The five colours are thought to bring
protection for the coming year, a block
against evil spirits and unfortunate
happenings.
Losar can be traced back to the mystic
Bon religion, when a winter festival was
held to please spirits, yet modern-day
ceremonies continue to offer unique
cultural experiences. As a traveller,
have an open mind and show respect.
Monasteries are places where men
have dedicated their lives to religious
study and practice; it is their home.
When visiting, you can say “Tashi Delek”
as a greeting, the Tibetan equivalent
of “Namaste.” Enjoy the dancing, the
celebrations, the reverence.
Though the way New Year is celebrated
differs, hope for the future remains the
same. And Losar offers the perfect time
to welcome a new year.
Heli Sightseeing Package:
For group of 3 pax Itinerary Schedule:
07:00 am: Reporting time at the airport
Heli takes off from the Kathmandu airport
Each pax gets a Window Seat
Mountain sightseeing all the way to Everest Base Camp
5 - 10 minutes landing at Kala Patthar for quick photography
Return back to Syanboche - landing at Everest View
Resort Breakfast in Syangboche
Return back to Kathmandu
Total Flight time: 03 hours, approximately
For group of 4 - 5 pax Itinerary Schedule:
07:00 am: Reporting time at the airport
Heli takes off from the Kathmandu airport
Heli lands at Everest View Resort, Syangboche
Drops off passenger and takes off with 3 passengers
Does the Mountain flight and lands at Kala Patthar
5 - 10 minutes for photography
Return back to Everest View Resort
Returns back for mountain flight and landing at
Kala Patthar with remaining passengers
Returns back to Everest View Resort
Return back to Kathmandu after all pax have taken their breakfast
Total Flight time: 03.30 minutes, approximately
NOTE: Landing at EBC/Kalapatthar Subject To Weather Condition.
For More Details, Please Contact:
Royal Mountain Travel - Nepal
Lal Durbar, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
+977 1 4444376 / 78 / 79
[email protected], www.royalmt.com.np
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
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