Festivals in Sikkim

The rich cultural and religious history of Sikkim has woven all the communities of the state into a strong fabric of a peaceful and tranquil state in the country. The festivals of different communities and faiths are celebrated with equal zest and fervor by the people of the state irrespective of their religion or community.

Sonam Lochar

The first day of the twelfth month in the lunar calendar is celebrated as the New Year by the Tamang Community in the state. The Tamangs celebrate this auspicious day with great joy and fervor.

Losar

Losar, the Tibetan New Year as per the lunar calendar, is celebrated across the state with great enthusiasm and gaiety. It is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar.

Maghe Sankranti

Maghe Sankranti, also called Makar Sankranti in other parts of India, is the first day of the tenth month of the Bikram Sambat calendar which heralds the onset of warmer weather. It is a major secular festival of the Nepalese. It falls on the fourteenth of January every year.

Sakewa

Sakewa is a religious festival celebrated by the Kirat Khambu Rai community of Sikkim. It is also known as the Bhoomi puja or Chandi puja (worship of mother earth). The festival begins on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Baisakh, which usually falls in April/May.

Saga Dawa

Saga Dawa is the most important religious day for the Buddhists all over the world. The day marks the birth, attainment of enlightenment and parinirvana of Lord Buddha. It falls on the 15th day (full moon) of the fourth Tibetan lunar month.

Bhanu Jayanti

Bhanu Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Nepali poet Adikabi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya who was born in 1814 in Nepal. It falls on 13th July.

Drukpa Tshechi

Drukpa Tsechi is the day on which Lord Buddha gave his first teachings to his first five disciples at Sarnath. It falls on the fourth day of the 6th month of the Buddhist lunar calendar.

Guru Rinpoche’s Trungkar Tshechu

Guru Rinpoche’s Trungkar Tshechuis the birth anniversary of our patron saint Lord Padmasambhava. It falls on the tenth day of the fifth month of the Buddhist lunar calendar.

Tendong Lho Rum Faat

Tendong Lho Rum Faat is one of the oldest and most important festivals celebrated in Sikkim by the Lepcha community. According to the Lepchas, Mt. Tendong had saved the Lepcha people during a great deluge which flooded the entire Mayel Lyang (Sikkim). The Lepchas celebrate this occasion to pay respect to Mount Tendong. It falls on 8th August every year.

Indra Jatra

Indra Jatra is a festival celebrated by the Newar community to pay homage to Lord Indra and his mother for rains and good harvest.

Pang LhabsolPang Lhabsol is a festival unique to Sikkim and is performed every year to pay tribute, honor and to propitiate the protective guarding deities of Sikkim, especially

MountKhangchendzonga, the guardian deity of Sikkim. It falls on the fifteenth day of the seventh month as per the lunar calendar.

Lhabab Dhuechen

Lhabab dhuechen is observed to mark the descent of Lord Buddha from heaven back to earth. He had left earth at the age of 41 to give teachings to benefit the gods and to repay the kindness of his mother by liberating her from samsara. It occurs on the 22nd day of the ninth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar.

Teyongsi Sirijunga Sawan Tongnam

Teyongsi Sirijunga Sawan Tongnam marks the birth anniversary of Limboo revivalist and scholar Teyongsi Sirijunga. It falls on the 23rd of December.

Barahimizong

Barahimizong is observed and celebrated by the Mangar community to worship their forefathers.

Losoong/Namsong

Losoong/Namsong is the Sikkimese New Year which marks the end of harvest season. The Lepchas celebrate the occasion as Namsoong while the Sikkimese Bhutias call it the Losoong. The celebrations start from the 29th of the tenth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar and continue for a week.

Tamu Lhochhar

Tamu Lhochhar is the New Year of the Gurung community and is celebrated every year on the 30th of December in Sikkim. It marks the change of animal sign (lho) for the Gurung community.