Festivals In Sikkim : A secular holiday in Nepal is Maghe Sankranti, the first day of the tenth month of the Bikram Sambat calendar, which brings warmer temperatures. In various regions of India, Makker Sakranti is celebrated for three days in mid-January. It always falls on January 14. Makkar marks a celebration of bathing in the Tista-Rangit confluence.
On this day, a number of river banks and confluences host enormous fairs and melas. In south Sikkim, the Jorethang Maghe Mela is the largest and most important event. Locals and foreigners alike attend this significant event. It is believed that the mela was inspired by the inaugural Jorethang agricultural fair in 1955. A thousand stalls sell and display products at the fair for thousands of visitors.
At Rumtek monastery, two days before Losar, families gather with friends and relatives to celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year. The Gutor Chaam shows the conflict between good and evil and the ritual eradication of evil.
Festivals In Sikkim : Sonam Lochar is a major Tamang event that occurs in January and February (Magha Sukla Pakcha). The Tamangs celebrate their five- to fifteen-day festival with religious intensity, as well as delight.
For Nepalis in Sikkim, India, Ramnawami (Chaite Dasain) is an important religious festival. Other parts of the country celebrate ‘Small Dashain’ as ‘Ram Navami’ in honor of Lord Rama’s birth on this lucky day in pre-Vedic times. This day is celebrated by visiting Lord Rama temples, having family gatherings, and eating festive meals.
Saga Dawa is the Triple Blessed Festival, celebrated by Buddhist monasteries in Sikkimese Buddhists during the full moon of the 4th Tibetan calendar month (Buddha Purnima in India).
There is a belief that the Buddha was born, enlightened, and attained nirvana on this day. A colourful procession of monks playing musical instruments and pilgrims carrying sacred scriptures, photographs, and Buddha sculptures takes place in Gangtok and other Sikkim towns and villages. For blessings, people stroke their heads with Holy Scriptures in the streets.
Bhanu Jayanti is celebrated by Nepalese Festivals In Sikkim on 29th Asar (typically on 13 July), the birthday of Nepal’s first poet, Bhanubhakta Acharya.
Bhanubhakta was the first Nepali poet to translate the Sanskrit epic “Ramayana” into Nepali. In Nepal, his authorship was significant, since the common people were not allowed access to this epic. Education and Sanskrit writing and reading were exclusively reserved for Brahmins. In Nepali literature, his translation of Ramayan into Nepali is regarded as a landmark.
Drukpa Tshechi is celebrated on the 4th day of the 6th month (Drukpa) of the Tibetan calendar. In the English calendar, it falls around July or August.
In legend, the event commemorates Lord Buddha’s first preaching of the Four Noble Truths in Sarnath’s Deer Park. The first noble truth begins with hardship. The second noble truths reveal the causes of misery, accident, chance, and delusion. The third noble truths establish the end of suffering and the Eightfold Path that leads to Nirvana.
One of the oldest Lepcha festivals is Tendong Rum Faat Tendong Lho Rum Faat in August. The festival consists of three days of celebrations which begin with prayers to Mount Tendong in South Sikkim. According to legend, Mount Tendong saved the Lepcha people from the huge flood that flooded Mayel Lyang, now Sikkim. On the last day of the festival, Lepcha food, clothing and ornaments are on display. The festival honours the saviour mountain. The state capital hosts literary and artistic events to celebrate.
Thunkar Tshechu, Guru Rimpoche of Festivals In Sikkim Guru Padmasambhava’s birthday with considerable fanfare. Tenth day of the fifth Tibetan month. In Gangtok, a Guru statue procession circles town. RumTek monastery celebrates his life with chaams.
Jatra Indra Jatra, commonly known as Yenya, is Sikkim’s biggest Nepalese “NEWAR” celebration, celebrated with much pomp and circumstance.
Kathmandu Valley residents imprisoned Lord Indra for stealing the fragrant and rare “Parijat Flowers” for his mother in Vedic times. In recognition of who he was, the locals released him and asked him to visit the valley every year to bring rain and prosperity to it as part of one of the most colourful festivals.
While mostly a Nepalese celebration, the Nepalese Newar Gutthi community in Sikkim celebrates it with great zeal and excitement. It was introduced here in 2000 and became a state holiday in 2011.
An annual Sikkim-only celebration honouring Mount Khangchendzonga’s consecration as the state’s guardian deity. Buddhism may have been brought to this ancient land by the mountain god. Sacred visions from the mountain god led Lhatsun Chenpo, the foremost propagator of Buddhism in Sikkim, to the hidden rice valley of Demajong, according to his handwritten biography.
On the 15th day of the 7th Tibetan month, late August/early September, the mountain god is still invoked to defend Sikkim at Pang Lhabsol. There are distinctive chaams in this celebration, and the third Chogyal Chador Namgyal choreographed the stunning warrior dance, which appeared in a vision to him.
It also commemorates the blood brotherhood between Lepchas and Bhutanese in Kabi from the 15th century.
During Dassain Durga Puja, Sikkim’s largest Hindu Nepalese celebration takes place. The first day (Prathama) and the ninth day (Navmi) of Durga puja are commemorated by other sections like Dushera. On the tenth day, family elders bless and apply ‘tika’ on children. Elders also provide cash or goods. A colorful procession brings the Durga idol to a lake or river for immersion. This concludes Dassain.
In the same way as Diwali, Deepawali (Laxmi Puja) is a festival of lights. It is a fortnight after Dasain. Legend says that earthen lights were lit all over Ayodhya to mark Lord Ram’s return. During the celebration, Hindus clean, whitewash, and paint their homes and surroundings, which have marigold flowers and buntings. We light earthen lamps and candles and decorate with electricity. During the night, many worship Lakshmi, the richest goddess.
The festival lasts five days. Tradition dictates daily worship of a certain entity or living being. Crows are served home-made treats on Kag Tihaar, the first day. Dogs are honoured on Kukoor Tihaar, the second day. They are garlanded and given meat-rice specialties. A cow is honoured on Gai Tihaar, the third day, and given special food. Oxen are adored and fed on Gom Tihaar, day four. For Bhai Tihaar, girls place coloured rice mixed ‘Tika’ on their brothers’ foreheads. Girls sing ‘Bhailo’ carols at night. Boys and men begin singing ‘Deusi’ in the morning. Several dance and singing parties visit different houses.
Lhabab Duchen On Lhabab Duchen, Buddhists visit temples to light butter lamps, burn incense, and pray to Lord Buddha. In addition to reading the sacred scriptures and chanting mantras to purify the air, monks and lamas also painted ladders on monasteries’ rocks to symbolize Buddha’s descent from Trayastrimsa.
Teyongsi Sirijunga Sawan Tongnam The Limboo Community in Sikkim celebrates Teyongsi Sirijunga Sawan Tongnam, the birth anniversary of the famed 18th-century scholar who revived the Limboo’s ancient culture. They celebrate their most important festival with fervor every year. Among the highlights of the celebrations are cultural programs and award ceremonies honoring notable figures in the Limboo ethnic community for their contributions to the community’s literary, social, and cultural growth.
One of the most important holidays for Mangar people is Barahimizong. On this day, Mangar people perform religious ceremonies in honor of their kuldevtaas and parents. A number of cultural performances and on-the-spot competitions follow the ceremonies. Mangar food is also included in the celebrations, giving foodies an authentic taste.
Founded in 1998, the Barahimizong Festival preserves the culture and traditions of the community. The festival’s first event was a success thanks to the “Akhil Sikkim Mangar Sangh (ASMS)” and the “State Government of Sikkim.” Today, Barahimizong is more impressive than ever, and it demonstrates the state’s communal unity to outsiders.
As one of Sikkim’s most important cultural and religious celebrations, Sakewa begins with Bhumi Puja and continues with community dances and other rites to honour Mother Earth. As drums and cymbals fill the state during Sakewa’s bright celebrations, people gather around the block to enjoy the festivities.
The Kirat Rais are one of the oldest Himalayan tribes. Their custom of worshipping nature gods and praying for all living creatures dates back thousands of years.
Kagyed Dance Kagyed Chaam, one of the most prominent Buddhist celebrations, features masked monks and lamas dancing to symbolise the eradication of evil and negative energies and the hope of peace and prosperity in the new year. As part of the festival, locals and international tourists who follow Buddha’s teachings burn flour, wood, and paper effigies to symbolize the eradication of evil.
The Cham Masked Dance, commonly referred to as Kagyed, is performed by Buddhist monks and lamas to ward off evil and honor the almighty. During his exorcise of a demon in this holy area, Guru Padmasambhava, who founded Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim, performed cham dances. Cham dances vary from festival to festival, but all use masks depicting human, deity, and animal faces telling Buddhist mythology stories.
A Sikkimese farmer celebrates his harvest during Losoong, also called Namsoong by the Lepchas. Even though the event is quiet among family and friends, it is festive. It celebrates good over evil through the Black Hat dance and ‘chaams’ in many monasteries two days before Losoong.
Lepchas and Bhutias celebrate Lossong in December with traditional gaiety and colors. Archery and merry-making competitions last for days.
Tamu Lochar is a traditional Gurung holiday celebrated on the 30th December in English Calendar and the 15th day of Pusa in Vikram Sambat. Everyone in the family and community participates in the celebration.