Losar in Lachung and Lachen
February or early March (first days of the first Tibetan month)
Losar falls on the first day of the Tibetan lunar calendar, usually in February and sometimes in early March. In Lachung and Lachen families clean their houses, hang new prayer flags, prepare special food and visit the monastery. Celebrations continue for several days with visits between relatives and friends.
It is not a staged tourist event. Most of the festival happens in homes and at the monasteries, and some families travel down to Gangtok or Mangan for the winter. If you are in the valleys at Losar, you may see prayers at the monastery and villagers in their best traditional dress.
Winter travel brings its own problems: snow can close roads above Lachung, and some hotels and homestays close for the holiday. Check with your operator that your stay will be open.
How to do it well
- Confirm that your hotel or homestay is open over Losar.
- Ask before photographing people or prayers at the monastery.
- Dress for snow and keep a spare day in your plan.
- A small gift of fruit or sweets is a kind gesture if you are invited into a home.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
When is Losar celebrated in North Sikkim?
Losar follows the Tibetan lunar calendar and usually falls in February, occasionally early March. Exact dates change each year. Check the date for your year with your operator or the Sikkim tourism calendar before you plan around it. Celebrations usually run for several days after the first day of the new year.
Can tourists join Losar celebrations?
Visitors can watch prayers at the monasteries and may be invited into homes, especially if staying in a homestay. It is a family festival, so behave as a guest, ask before photographing and do not expect performances. A homestay is the best way to see how local families mark the new year.
Are roads to Lachung open at Losar?
Usually the road to Lachung is open, but snow can close it for a day or more, and the road above to Zero Point often closes after snowfall. Keep a spare day. Check current status before you travel. Some hotels also close for the holiday, so confirm your booking.
Is Losar the same as Losoong?
No. Losoong is the Sikkimese harvest New Year, celebrated in December with masked dances at monasteries such as Rumtek. Losar is the Tibetan New Year in February or March. Both are important in Sikkim and are often confused. Lachung and Lachen mark Losar mainly at home and in their monasteries.