Festivals In Darjeeling

The Queen of Hills is blessed with diverse culture and the festivals celebrated by each are beautiful and unique.

Teesta Tea And Tourism Festival

Teesta Tea and Tourism festival is one of the most important festivals in Darjeeling. Celebrated in the month of November or December, Darjeeling tea festival attracts tourists from various parts of the world. The event includes the display and exhibition on the culture of tea and tasting sessions. Tea lovers will be educated and acquainted with the tradition of tea. You can even buy different types of tea including scented teas, black tea, oozing tea, white tea, masala tea and green tea.

Darjeeling Carnival

The popular Darjeeling Carnival is celebrated in the month of November. The main feature of the 10-day carnival includes rock and band music in English, Bengali and Nepali by the localities, painting and photo exhibitions, poetry reading sessions by different groups and many more such activities. Local and traditional food stalls are set up where people of all ages come and enjoy. Of all the festivals of Darjeeling, this one is very interesting.

Darjeeling Orange Festival

Darjeeling Orange festival helps visitors to get familiar with the fruit, its quality and type and the methods of its conservation. Orange festival happens mostly in December attracting villagers from over 50 villages to participate. It is one of the best events in Darjeeling. Sometimes the fest is held outside Darjeeling to attract more participation and buyers of the fruit.

New Year Celebrations

Apart from the festivals celebrated in Darjeeling, New Year’s eve always marks for special celebrations in the town. With the start of the year in January, the Bhutias and Lepchas celebrate the New Year with vibrant traditional dances on the streets. It is one of the best experiences to witness these long processions. Fairs are also organized around this time where you can enjoy authentic local food items such as momo and thukpa.

Around the middle of the month, Nepalis observe Maghe Sankranti. This day is the beginning of the Nepali month Magh. The festival also marks the onset of spring season in Darjeeling. The main rituals of the festival include taking a bath in the rivers and eating only Tarool and a combination of a variety of edible species.

The Tibetan Year comes to an end at the end of January. For a grand celebration, they have a festival to turn aside all the negativities of the old year. Most Monasteries even have Tibetan dance with the most famous in Thupten Sangag Choling Monastery. They have a special Mandala prayer where you can see the glowing Mandala.

Losha

Losha is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar. It is celebrated in February or beginning of March marking the Tibetan New Year. The celebration goes on for about a week where Tibetans cook delicious food, wear new clothes and dance their hearts out. On the 11th day of the festival, the Tibetans celebrate Cho Nga Chopa. The purpose to celebrate this is to increase the devotions of the Buddhists. the 15th day of the festival is called Chotrul Duechen which is a day of offering for the Tibetan Buddhists. In order to know the culture of Darjeeling, you need to participate in this festival.

Buddha Jyanti

Another Festival in Darjeeling that you can witness if you are here in the month of May would be Buddha Jayanti. It is also considered as one of the important festivals in the region where the monks start preparing for the same in the monasteries in the Darjeeling. The festival marks the birthday of Lord Buddha.

Dasain

This is the longest Hindu festival in Nepal, traditionally celebrated for two weeks with prayers and offerings to Durga, the Universal Mother Goddess. The great harvest festival of Nepal, Dashain is a time for family reunions, exchange of gifts and blessings, and elaborate pujas. Dashain honors the Goddess Durga, who was created out of the shakti or energy of all the gods, armed with weapons from each of them.

Goddess Durga, symbolizing valor and prowess, is worshipped and offered sacrifices to ensure the devotees' progress and prosperity. During the first ten days, pilgrims flock to various river confluences early in the morning and sacred shrines in the evening. Ghatasthapana, Phool Pati, Mahaastami, Nawami and Vijaya Dashami are the series of the events under Dashain each marked with a different set of rituals.