People of Gurung (Tamu) communities are observing their most important festival Lhosar or New Year on Sunday amidst much fanfare and joviality in many parts of the country and the world.
The Gurung community celebrate this festival as Tola Lhosar in the 12 month of the English calendar every year by taking blessings from respected elders and exchanging greetings among each others and friends. Lhosar means "New Year" in English: Lho meaning year and sar meaning new. Some Gurung people also count their age by calculating Lho.
Scientific evidences have shown December 22 to be the longest night as well as being the coldest. However, the Gurung community believes December 30 to be the one which is longest and coldest, and by tradition, mark December 30 as the beginning of the new year. This festival is also celebrated by Tamang, Sherpa, Hyalomo people in Nepal and is popular in Tibet, India and Bhutan.
On the occasion of Lhosar festival the Gurung community residing in the Kathmandu valley are organising various programmes. Today is the third and final day of the three day celebration and is being marked by special cultural programme at the open air theater in Tudhikhel as well as Birendra International Convention Center (BICC) at Baneshwor. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala including top political party leaders and dignitaries are expected to attend the function.
Meanwhile, leaders of various political parties extended their heartfelt greetings to all Tamu communities both at home and abroad on the occasion of Lhosar.
Talking at a Lhosar function organised in Kathmandu, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel extended his best wishes to all Gurung people on the occasion and said that it should be taken by all as national festival as the government has already declared it as a national holiday. He also described the move by the government as its efforts to conserve the arts and culture of various indigenous communities of Nepal.
Acting President of Nepali Congress, Sushil Koirala, also extended his heartfelt greetings to the Nepali indigenous Gurung communities, claiming that "only in a true democratic set up all indigenous communities, linguistic, religious and cultural groups can hope for an equal opportunity."
In a message of greetings extended on the eve of the festival, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said the festival that is celebrated by Tamu communities reflects our national lives and it should be taken by all as national festival.
On the occasion of Lhosar, Nepalnews would like to extend its heartfelt greetings to all its viewers. nepalnews.com Dec 30 07
