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Ghyalpo Lhosar being observed

The Sherpa people living in the mountainous region are celebrating the Ghyalpo Lhosar (New Year) in different places of the country on Sunday.

Although it is not known from when this festival actually began to be celebrated, etymologically Lhosar in the Sherpa language means the New Year. This time the Sherpas are welcoming in the Horse New Year and bidding goodbye to the Snake Year.

The Sherpa community celebrates this festival for three days with special reverence. On the New Year Day, the Sherpas put up festoons on hill tops. On the first day, the Sherpas get up early, perform worships at home, visit the monasteries, take blessings from the Lama priests there. The first day is called the Lama Lhosar.

On the second day, family gatherings are held, relatives see each other and enjoy delicacies. The day is therefore called the Priwar Lhosar or the Family Lhosar. The third day of the festival is dedicated to the worship of the different deities as Bhairav, Mahakal etc, which are believed to guard the settlements in different directions. These deities are called the Dharmapals or the guardians of the religion, hence the day is known as the Dharmapal Lhosar.

Sherpas live in Solukhumbu, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sankhuwasabha, Mugu and other Himalayan districts. Their population is about 500 thousand.

source:the kathmandu post,2 march 2014