Tibetan New Year Losar
Time: This religious festival is celebrated from December 29 through January 15 according to Tibetan calendar.
Venue: Tibet or the Tibetan areas in Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces
Origin: The celebration of Losar (Tibetan New Year) predates Buddhism in Tibet and can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist period. In this early tradition, every winter a spiritual ceremony was held, in which people offered large quantities of incense to appease the local spirits, deities and 'protectors'. This religious festival later evolved into an annual Buddhist festival because of the birth of traditional Tibetan calendar.
The legend said that tibetan calendar was created in 100 B.C or so by an old woman named Belma who introduced the measurement of time based on the phases of the moon. Then local agriculture was developed, the ripe time of wheat was decided to be the beginning of a year by Tibetan people. They held the celebration for a harvest every year at the time.
Traditional Tibetan calendar, based on Chinese ancient calendar, Belma's measurement and Indian calendar was completely built till early 9th century. Similar to traditonal Chinese calendar, the Tibetan calendar used five elements iron, wood, water, fire, earth and twelve signs of animals to caculate a year, month and day. 1027 A.C. was set as the first year of a new era when the Indian hour wheel scripts were introduced into tibet. Thus Tibet New Year or Losar started.
What's On: It's interesting to learn these Tibetan folk customs through Losar. Losar is celebrated for 15 days, with the main celebrations on the first three days. On the first day of Losar, a beverage called changkol is made from chhaang (a Tibetan cousin of beer). The second day of Losar is known as King's Losar (gyalpo losar). Losar is traditionally preceded by the five day practice of Vajrakilaya. Although it often falls on the same day as the Chinese New Year (sometimes with one day or occasionally with one lunar month difference), it is generally not thought to be culturally directly connected to that holiday. It is culturally more related to Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia than to the Chinese New Year festivity.
Main Tourist Attractions: Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery, Norbu Lingka, Drepung Monastery, Bhakor Street, Lake Yamzho Yumco etc.
Transport: Tourist can go to Tibet by plane or train.
Read more about Losar celebration in Tibet or book Tibetan New Year Tours.
Tibetan Losar and Monlam tours are very specially designed for tourists who love nature and are interested in Buddhist culture around Tibetan areas. On these tours, you will see the nomads and touch their arts, enjoy the ritualistic Tibetan New Year (Tibetan Losar) and the Great Prayer Festival (aka Monlam), visit the very old monasteries, talk with local people, nomads and many different clans of Tibetans in Qinghai, Gansu or Sichuan provinces. We will be tracing the routes of early explorers throughout the Tibetan areas in these provinces. We travel slowly by four wheel drive vehicles caravan-style and have the best hotels available in the remote area, clean with facilities. There will be 3 persons plus 1 driver per each car and a native experienced knowledgeable Tibetan / English speaking tour guide per group. We will have excellent food such as fresh fruit and vegetables, Tibetan yogurt, fresh mutton and yak meat, chicken, eggs, rice, noodles and soup, etc...
Dates of 2012 Tibetan Losar and Monlam in Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan
* Tongren (Repkong Losar): Jan. 27th to Feb. 7th 2012. During these 10 days, different styles of monastic New Year Festivals happen in different monasteries and villages in rotation every day.
* Labrang and Taktsang Lhamo Losar are the same dates: Feb. 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 2012.
* Ngawa (Aba) Losar: Feb. 4th, 5th, 6th 7th, 2012
During these days, different styles of monastic celebrations happen in different monasteries and villages in rotation every day.
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