Losar festival celebrated with fervour in Lahaul and Spiti

Mandi, November 14

Losar festival was celebrated with traditional fervour in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti today. The celebrations for the festival began yesterday.

Sonam Targey, a resident of Spiti, said the festival marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year. On this occasion, the Buddhist settlements and monasteries are adorned with wonderful and serene ambience and people visit monasteries to offer prayers.

“The festival also celebrates the agricultural prosperity of the region. The first day of the festival is fondly known as the ‘Lama Losar’, or ‘the Festival of the Guru’. Devotees worship His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual head of the Tibetan people, on this sacred day, and take out lively processions in his honour,” he said.

“People clean their houses thoroughly to ward off evil spirits and prepare a special delicacy called the ‘Ghutuk’, which is shared and eaten with great joy,” he remarked.

Lahaul and Spiti MLA Ravi Thakur congratulated the people of the district on the occasion and said, “Festivals are an important part of our society and we should celebrate them with full dedication. This helps us to carry the legacy of our culture and ethos to the future generations.”