Sherpa Festivals

Sherpas are one of the ethnically and culturally rich tribe of Nepal inhabiting in the Himalayan region. The festivals are the typically different from those of other races. In fact these festivals are the real property of the community. It makes feel that Sherpas are the civilized one as culture reflect the civilization of the society. 

LOSHAR  (NEW YEAR)
There are many ways of observing New Year in the different part of the world. The New Year is called 'Losher' in Sherpa. Sherpa New Year is known as "Gyalwa-Loshar" and this is similar to the new year observed in many Northern and  Southern Asian countries like Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, China etc. Each of these countries have their own ways of celebrating the new year. Some places in Tibet, in the 1st of 11th month children playfully celebrate the New Year. This is call "Tola-Loshar". Some people celebrate the New Year on the 1st of 12th month which is called "Sonam-Loshar"  (Peasant's new year). Gyalwu Losher is in the time of farming and at some places it does no coincide. So they are not like the Gyalwu Losher and not generally prevalent in the Sherpa Community. In Losher, The children and grand children offer scarf to the parents and parents in return give presents to the children,  the neighbors go to each other's house to share the warmth of the New Year and is celebrated with prayers flags and happiness by all.

DUMCHI AND MANI-RIMDU

Dumchi and Manirimdu are two important festivals observed by the Sherpa community. On these festivals tantric dances, initiations, and Nensegphangsum i.e. trampling, burning and throwing (the practice which involves dispelling of evil spirits) are performed. These two festivals have strong religious significance. They involve huge expense and need to be sponsored by a family or group involving 3-4 families. The person or the families organizing this festival have to provide meals to the entire audience, and thus it can be expensive.

In the upper region of the Sherpa villages a group of eight families sponsor the festivals together, the responsibility of making arrangements for Dumchi festival is generally decided by a drawing of a lot and the festival lasts for 4-5 days. In same places, people make voluntary contributions. Not every Sherpa community can afford to organize this festival. Today, only 25 monasteries celebrate either of the two festivals. They are celebrated at the same time in every monastery. 

Manirimdu:

Manirimdu is similar to Dumchi in that it also involves ritual activities and tantric dances. However, in Manirimdu, Avalokiteshowr appears in neither a wrathful nor peaceful aspect and so the offering of sacramental cake (Torma) is not required. The devotees recite the six syllable mantra of Chenrezing-The Buddha of Compassion) “Om, Mani Padme Hung” for several days placing Mani pills in front of the shrine. Thus this festival is named as Manirimdu (“Rim” means pills, where as “Du” means to accomplish). Manirimdu first spread among Sherpa communities at the beginning of the 20^th century.

Today some of the Sherpa monasteries, celebrating Manirimdu are the Thame monastery, Tangboche monastery, Chiwang monastery, Jyalsa monastery and Kyilkhor Dingma monastery. Generally both Manirimdu and Dumchi are not demonstration of Dharma, but is practice of the highest Tantric Yoga, which involves direct dealing with Lama (Spiritual Guru), Yidam (personal meditation deity), khadro (Dakini of female celestial bodies who protect those practicing Dharma), and Chokyong Sungma (the Dharma protectors). Through this Tantric Yoga practice one can accomplish the dual Accumulations (accumulation of merit and accumulation of insights). With the achievement of these two accumulations one attains Buddha-hood and eliminates the two obstructions (the delusive obstruction to liberation and the obstruction to omniscience).