Langtang & Manaslu · Gatlang
Sonam Lhosar
सोनाम ल्होसार
Sonam Lhosar is the New Year of the Tamang and Hyolmo people, held on the first day of the bright half of Magh. In Rasuwa villages such as Gatlang and Briddim it means monastery visits, new clothes, Tamang Selo songs and the damphu drum.
Tamang and Hyolmo count years in a cycle of twelve animals, and Sonam Lhosar marks the turn from one animal year to the next. It falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which most years is Magh Shukla Pratipada in the Nepali calendar, so late January or February. Historically it came after the harvest was stored, when families had grain and time. In the days before, houses are cleaned and freshly plastered with mud, prayer flags are replaced and food is prepared in quantity.
On the day people visit the gompa and stupas, light butter lamps and receive blessings from the lama. Masked dances are performed at some monasteries to drive out harmful spirits. Then the village turns to music. Tamang Selo, the call-and-answer songs of the Tamang hills, is sung to the damphu, a round frame drum, and young people dance in lines in the courtyards. In Hyolmo and Rasuwa Tamang villages you will also see the syabru dance, with linked arms and stamping feet.
In Kathmandu, Sonam Lhosar is a public holiday and the open ground at Tundikhel fills with Tamang families in traditional dress. In Gatlang it is smaller and more personal: neighbours going from house to house with khata scarves, and plates of khapse fried biscuits and rice-flour babar. If you are staying in a Tamang homestay in this season, your hosts will include you; bring a small gift and accept the drink you are offered, even if you only touch it to your lips.
Tips
- Gatlang can be below freezing at night in February; homestays have blankets but bring a warm sleeping bag.
- A white khata scarf and a small packet of sweets or fruit is a good gift for the household that hosts you.
- Kathmandu's Tundikhel celebration is a good alternative if mountain roads are closed by snow or road works.
Questions
When is Sonam Lhosar celebrated?
Sonam Lhosar falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, usually Magh Shukla Pratipada in the Nepali calendar. That places it in late January or in February. The date moves each year with the lunar calendar, so check the official Nepali calendar for the year you travel, and check current status of mountain roads before you plan to be in a village for it.
Who celebrates Sonam Lhosar?
It is the New Year of the Tamang and Hyolmo people, celebrated in Tamang areas around the Kathmandu Valley, in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, in Helambu, and in Sikkim and Darjeeling in India. It is different from Gyalpo Lhosar (the Sherpa and Tibetan New Year) and Tamu Lhosar (the Gurung New Year), which fall at other times of the year.
Can travellers attend Sonam Lhosar in Gatlang?
Yes, if you are staying in the village. There is no ticket and no stage: the festival happens at the gompa and in courtyards and homes. Staying in a community homestay is the natural way in. Your guide can introduce you, explain what is happening and tell you when it is fine to take photographs. Dress warmly and modestly.
What food is eaten at Sonam Lhosar?
Fried khapse biscuits, rice-flour flatbread called babar, and plenty of meat are typical, with local alcohol such as chhyang (fermented grain beer) and distilled rakshi. Hyolmo families also make thongsey. Homestay hosts usually cook a bigger meal than usual and share it with guests. Vegetarians should tell their host early; there will always be rice, dal and potatoes.