Sonam Lhosar celebrated with fanfare in Dhulikhel (Photo Feature)

KATHMANDU: The Tamang community celebrates Sonam Lhosar as it marks its new year 2856. It was celebrated with fanfare and jubilant participation in Dhulikhel. The Sonam Lhosar festival celebrates the lunar calendar similar to the Chinese, and it falls on the second new moon during the winter solstice.

It is a time of festivity looking toward a better future and discarding negative forces with rituals from the monasteries, eating well, buying new clothes, cleaning, and decorating the house.

The festivity is also a culturally sound and rich tradition and the Tamang community’s contribution to the diversity of Nepal. The Tamang community has a strong presence in Bagmati province in 13 districts. Various district people from the community gathered at Kathmandu in Dhulikhel to celebrate this festival in a grand way also organizing a “Cultural Fest to mark their new year.

On this year’s occasion in the organized event, youth leader of the Tamang community and member of the House of Representative (HoR) Prem Tamang participated in the event. They also discussed the problems being faced by their community and to draw the attention of the Government of Nepal (GoN) toward their needs.

They also expressed dissatisfaction that such a major event of their community was being neglected by the government and that more needed to be done to bring national limelight.

Numerous cultural programs and dances were a part of this gala event along with a variety of ethnic dishes. The crowd representing the Tamang community was humongous in Dhulikhel.

(Photo Courtesy: Mukunda Kalikote for Reporters Nepal subsidiary of the Reporters Club Nepal)