Tola Lhosar being celebrated today

Kathmandu: The Tola Lhosar festival observed on the day of Poush Shukla Pratipada or the first day of the waxing moon in the month of Poush as per the lunar calendar is being celebrated in Humla, Jumla, Dolpa, Mugu and Manang districts today.

Tola Lhosar is considered the oldest among the different Lhosar festivals. ‘Tola’ means the wheel of time and so the Tola Lhosar is also called the Time Cycle Year. This festival is marked as per the rituals of the Sonam Lhosar, the festival observed by the Tamang community.

Although the rituals and process of celebrating the Tola Lhosar and Sonam Lhosar are the same, they are observed on separate days.

The Tamang community celebrates the Sonam Lhosar on the day of Magh Shukla Pratipada, a month after the Tola Lhosar. Tola Lhosar is also celebrated in some places of Bhutan and Tibet even at present. ‘Lho’ means year and ‘sar’ means new in Tibetan language, so Lhosar means the New Year, and the festival also marks the beginning of the New Year.

The indigenous people observing the Tola Lhosar festival perform ablutions and clean the house and house portico, applying a coat of liquid mixture of clay and cow dung.

The Lama priests or the family head perform the religious sacraments on the occasion. There is the custom of throwing wheat and barley flour towards the sky in symbolic celebration of victory of gods and defeat of the demons and evil spirits as part of celebrating the Tola Lhosar.

People also receive blessings from the Lama priests and elders on the occasion while partaking delicacies and food items like Babari Roti, Phuraula and tubers.