Losar Festival

Losar is the new year festival of the Monpa community of Tawang and West Kameng districts in Arunachal Pradesh. It follows the Tibetan Buddhist lunar calendar and is observed over the first three days of the new year, usually falling in February or early March.

The festival centres on Tawang Monastery (Galden Namgey Lhatse), the largest Mahayana Buddhist monastery in India, and on family homes across Monpa villages where new prayer flags are hoisted and offerings are made at household altars.

• New-year prayers and butter-lamp offerings at Tawang Monastery (Galden Namgey Lhatse)
• Hoisting of new prayer flags on village rooftops
• Cham mask dances at monasteries on the second/third day
• Family visits with sharing of khapse (fried sweet pastries) and chhang
• Snow-clad Tawang valley as a backdrop

• Witness Mahayana Buddhist new-year rites at India's largest monastery
• Quiet, devotional counterpoint to the tribal festivals of central Arunachal
• Spectacular high-altitude winter landscapes around Tawang and Sela Pass

Losar (literally 'new year') is observed across the Tibetan cultural world — Tibet, Bhutan, Ladakh, Sikkim, Nepal's Buddhist regions and Arunachal's Monpa belt. In Tawang it has been celebrated continuously since Tawang Monastery was founded in 1680–81 by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso under instructions from the 5th Dalai Lama.

• Annual dates: the first three days of the Tibetan lunar new year, which typically falls between mid-February and early March.
• Main venue: Tawang Monastery (Galden Namgey Lhatse) and surrounding Monpa villages.
• FLAGGED FOR REVIEW: confirm the exact current-year start date with Tawang Monastery and Arunachal Pradesh Tourism; the date moves each year with the lunar calendar.

The Monpa are a Mahayana Buddhist community of Tibeto-Burman origin, settled primarily in Tawang and West Kameng districts. They speak Monpa dialects, follow the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and are closely tied to Tawang Monastery and a network of smaller gompas across the region.

Losar marks the start of the new year and is observed as a religious as well as a familial occasion. The first day is given to monastery prayers and offerings, the second to visiting elders and senior monks, and the third to family feasts and the hoisting of new prayer flags. The festival is intended to clear past obstacles and to invite blessings for the year ahead.

• New-year prayers and butter-lamp offerings at Tawang Monastery.
• Cham mask dances performed by monks on the second or third day.
• Hoisting of new lungta (wind-horse) prayer flags on rooftops, bridges and hilltops.
• Sharing of khapse (deep-fried wheat pastries) and chhang (millet beer).
• Snow-clad views of the Tawang valley and Sela Pass approach.

• Air: Tezpur (TEZ) in Assam is the nearest commercial airport; Guwahati (GAU) is the main hub.
• Rail: Tezpur and Rangapara North are the closest railheads in Assam.
• Road: From Tezpur / Guwahati, Tawang is a 14–18 hour drive (often split over two days) via Bomdila and the Sela Pass (4,170 m). Roads can be snow-affected in February — check conditions with the SDM, Tawang.

Indian nationals require an Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Arunachal Pradesh; apply online via the e-ILP portal with Tawang listed.

Foreign nationals require a Protected Area Permit (PAP) arranged through a registered Arunachal tour operator. Tawang has historically been a sensitive border district — confirm current PAP rules before booking.

February in Tawang is cold and often snowy, with daytime temperatures around 0–8 °C and night temperatures well below freezing. Pack heavy winter layers, waterproof boots, gloves and a windproof outer shell.

Tawang town has a number of hotels — Hotel Tawang Heights, Hotel Yang Sang, Dondrub Hotel and several smaller guesthouses. Some monasteries also offer simple guest rooms. Book at least a month in advance for Losar.

• Cham dances are crowded events — arrive early to secure a courtyard position; a 70–200 mm lens is useful for masked dancers.
• Always ask permission before photographing inside prayer halls; flash is generally prohibited.
• Cold drains batteries quickly — carry at least three spares and keep them in inner pockets.

• Tawang War Memorial.
• Urgelling Monastery — birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama.
• Sela Pass and Sela Lake (snow-bound in February).
• Madhuri Lake (Sangetsar Tso) — subject to seasonal road closure in winter.

A curated selection of photographs from Losar Festival. All images are placeholders until license-cleared festival-specific photographs are sourced — see our photography policy.

Losar Festival is a living cultural event hosted by the Monpa community. Please attend as a respectful guest, not a spectator.

• Day 1 — Arrive Guwahati and drive to Bhalukpong; overnight at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas.
• Day 2 — Drive to Bomdila via Tenga Valley; visit Bomdila Monastery and the craft centre.
• Day 3 — Continue to Dirang; hot springs, the old Dirang dzong and an apple orchard walk.
• Day 4 — Cross Sela Pass (~4,170 m) to Tawang; evening at Tawang Monastery for butter-lamp lighting.
• Day 5 — Full day at Tawang for Losar: Cham mask dances, Monpa community feasting and the Galden Namgey Lhatse gompa.
• Day 6 — Day trip to Bumla Pass or the Madhuri (Sangetsar) Lake.
• Day 7 — Drive back via Dirang and Sangti Valley for the black-necked cranes, onward to Bomdila / Guwahati for departure.