Losar Festival (February 18-20, 2026) Arunachal Pradesh Rohit Kumar Parmar
- rohitkparmar
- Feb 17
- 3 min read
Losar Festival
(February 18-20, 2026)
Arunachal Pradesh
Rohit Kumar Parmar [1]
Losar Festival, Arunachal Pradesh [2]
Losar,`Lo’ meaning year and `Sar’ meaning new, is celebrated on the first day of the Tibetan Luni Solar calendar, corresponding to February or March of the Gregorian calendar, and is a three day festival in Arunachal Pradesh and other states.
Losar predates the arrival of Buddhism, and has its roots in a `winter incense-burning custom’ of the Bon religion, founded by `Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche’ (referring to and meaning great/ Holi teacher). Bon religion is in harmony with nature, rituals, and worship of local deities.
Arunachal is a combination of `Arun’ meaning sunrise or dawn, or the first ray of sunlight and `Anchal’ meaning area or place. `Anchal’ also means the decorative part of a saree, the `Pallu’ or the `Border’, so Arunachal is the place decorated by the first rays of sunlight.
Losar is celebrated by the Khamba (Upper Siang district), Memba (Tuting, Geling, Mechukha districts), Monpa (Tawang, West Kameng districts), Nah (Upper Subansiri district), Sherdukpen (Rupa, Jigaon, Thongri, Shergaon districts), tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
Losar is also celebrated in Ladakh in December, around two months before the Tibetan New Year, to mark the beginning of spring and the New Year, for 15 days.
Losar is also celebrated in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim; and in Bhutan as the Bhutanese New Year.
The Tibetan calendar begins on February 18, 2026, with some regional variations. On the last (29th) day of the previous month (February 17, 2026) activities include cleaning, enjoying special Thupa (clear noodle soup) for dinner, and rituals to ward-off evil spirits.
On the first day of the festival, all priests offer prayers, to Palden Lhamo, the `Glorious Goddess’, a Vajrayana (tantric) Buddhist Dharmapala, in her various forms. People visit each other’s homes and offer wishes.
Vajrayana Buddhism, or the `Diamond Vehicle’, is an esoteric, tantric branch of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in India and flourished in Tibet, Bhutan, and Mongolia. It offers an accelerated, `direct’ path to enlightenment in a single lifetime, through specialized rituals, visualization of deities, mantras, and yogic techniques.
On the second day, Kings and Leaders are honoured. On the third day, people offer prayers to the highest priest and tie flags on their rooftops.
Celebrations include the Cham (masked) dance, Yak dances, and lighting butter lamps.
Cham (masked) dance
Cham: Monastic Dance of the Geluk and Nyingma Buddhists of Arunachal Pradesh
Cham dance in Arunachal Pradesh can be divided into two broad categories, the pantomime and the monastic dance. Both the categories of dance are religious, but the monastic dance is considered more sacred.
Monastic Cham (masked) dance was started by Saint Padmasambhava, 1,300 years ago, and has its origin in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, and is now actively practised in the Himalayan regions of India (from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet.
The Cham (masked) dance practised in monasteries is a unique ritualistic mask dance, designed as a secret tantric practice, and performed by Buddhist monks and nuns.
The Cham (masked) dance comprises socio-religious practices, ritualistic and festive elements, folk music, traditional craftsmanship and, most importantly, has unique orality and is the epistemological foundation of Mahayana Buddhism.
The Monpas contribute the most to the sustenance of the heritage of the Cham (masked) dance as a sacred ritualistic dance, in both Tawang and West Kameng districts.
Yak dance
Yak Dance (Cham) is a traditional masked folk dance performed by the Monpa and Shertukpen tribes in Arunachal Pradesh, especially during the Losar (Tibetan New Year) festival. Dancers wear elaborate costumes representing the mythical discovery of the yak, symbolizing prosperity, strength, and harmony with nature.
Yak Dance
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[2] All the pictures are sourced from internet, only for non-commercial use.
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