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Sikkim is the perfect travel destination amongst the vacationers and backpackers not only in India but across the world as well. Numerous foreigners would look forward to experiencing the authentic, vibrant, and beautiful place. Rest assured the mesmerizing northeastern state of India is highly popular for its natural and serene beauty.
The festivals in Sikkim are just another reason for an array of foreigners and native people consider visiting the heavenly place. One of the seven sister states, Sikkim is the place to be for enjoying the best vacation experience. The interesting place would spoil you for the choice of options and the Sikkim festival 2020.
The Sikkim festivals
You could enjoy the several Sikkim festivals while on your vacations to the mind-blowing destination. When you plan your trip, the dates of the festivals could be included in your itinerary. You could make the most of the cultural experience during your vacation.
Before you start planning a vacation in Sikkim, consider the list of festivals you may come across in the region. The festivals celebrated all year round would be inclusive of the Losoong festival, Sonal Lhochhar, Losar, Bhumchu, Ram Navami, Saga Dawa, Tendong Lho Rum Faat, Indrajatra, Pang Lhabsol, Tihar, yearly Sikkim paragliding festival, Mangan music festival, Hee Bermiok festival, International flower & garden festival, and the Sikkim summer festival.
With so many festivals to celebrate, you would wonder about the most popular festival of Sikkim.
Which is the famous festival of Sikkim?
Numerous festivals of Sikkim would greet you all year long. However, Saga Dawa is a famous festival of Sikkim. It is an important festival for Buddhists. The holiest festival for the Buddhists has been known to depict the life of Lord Buddha. You would witness the popular masked dances marking the importance of the event. The temples are lit with bright lights to honor Lord Buddha
According to the Buddhist calendar, the magnificent carnival of Saga Dawa is celebrated every fourth month. Yet another religious festival would be the Drukpa Teshi. The festival entails mass-prayers and yak races. Rest assured you would enjoy the feast to the fullest during the end of the festival. Numerous tourists make their way to be a part of the festival from various corners of the world.
How many festivals does Sikkim celebrate?
Find below a brief introduction to some of the several Sikkim festivals compiled for your perusal.
1- Losoong festival
Among the several famous festivals you may come across in Sikkim, the losoong festival of Sikkim has been an important festival marketing the beginning of the Sikkimese New Year. It is also the harvesting season for various local communities. The two events coinciding would mark the celebration with immense merriment and passion.
The dates for the losoong festival vary every year. Usually, the 5-day festival falls on the 18th day of the 10th month every year, which is usually December.
2- Nyngma gutor chaam
Also popular as the monastic festival, you could enjoy the customs that shunts out negativity on this auspicious day. The word ‘Gutor’ implies ‘house cleaning day.’ The residents would invite positive energies with the welcome of the New Year. The mask-dances depict the victory of good over evil.
The 2-days festival of nyngma gutor chaam also falls in December every year.
3- Losar
Yet another famous festival of Sikkim marks the beginning of the New Year. The farmers would enjoy the much-needed relief with the end of the harvesting season. The hard work and the patience have ended and the people celebrate the losar festival Sikkim with joy and fervor. All festivals of Sikkim mark the celebration of the harvest, the local communities, and the land. Losar is no exception to the other festivals celebrated in the region.
The festival falls on the 29th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar, which is usually the month of February every year.
4- Saga Dawa
The most popular of all Sikkim festivals, Saga Dawa marks the celebration of the birthday of Lord Buddha. The religious festival holds great importance for the people following Mahayana Buddhism. Travelers and tourists from far corners of the nation and the world gather in the region to gain a better understanding of the basic philosophies preached by Buddhism. People would also look forward to gaining knowledge about the religion and the culture of the region. They would become an integral part of the festival while enjoying the festival first-hand.
The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 4th month, which usually falls within June and July every year.
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5- Drukpa Teshi
The festival marks the day when Lord Buddha preached his first sermon to his five disciples about the four Noble Truths at Sarnath. The festivities would be inclusive of ceremonies organized in all monasteries, prayers held at different parts of the region, and the traditional horse race taking place in Muguthang.
The festivities are enjoyed on the 4th day of the 6th month every year, which usually falls in June and July.
6- Ram Navami
Ram Navami is celebrated a day before Chaite Dashain, which is an important Sikkim festival. Ram Navami is popularly called as Small Dashain in Sikkim. The occasion marks the birth of Lord Rama. The festivities entail get-togethers and scrumptious traditional meals. People enjoy get-togethers while enjoying the most delectable meals on one of the most important religious festivals in the region.
The festival falls in April every year.
7- Tendong Lho Rum Faat
The festival of Thanksgiving is celebrated to honor the sacred mountain Tendong. The Lepcha’s festival is a traditional ceremony celebrating the saving of their tribe by the mountain Tendong from the flash flood lasting 40 days and 40 nights.
The festival is celebrated yearly in August, which is usually from 8th to 11th of August every year.
8- Pang Lhabsol
The people of Sikkim commemorate the guardian deity of Sikkim, Mt. Kangchenjunga for protecting the beauty of the state. The vibrant festival is celebrated with dance performances, warrior dance, carnivals, and the ever so scrumptious Sikkim cuisines.
The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month, usually in August and September.
You could also become a part of the celebrations during your stay in Sikkim. You could plan your vacation in Sikkim based on the festivities you wish to enjoy. Rest assured you would enjoy every day of your stay in Sikkim.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about festivals in sikkim
Q1: How many festivals does Sikkim celebrate?
Sikkim celebrates 21 festivals with huge pomp and show.
Q2: Which festival marks the end of the monsoon?
Onam Festival is celebrated by the end of monsoon in August or in the beginning of September.
