The Losar festival marks the beginning of the New year iand is considered to be the most important festival of the region Ladakh/Tibet . During this festival, the Ladakhi Buddhists make a religious offering before their deities in the domestic shrines or in the Gompas. A medley of cultural events, ancient rituals and also traditional performances are performed during this festival. You can enjoy a good stage fight between the good and the evil, chanting with blazing fire torches and making way into the crowd, ibex deer dancing, battles between kings and ministers and much more in Ladakh Tour. There is blaring music accompanied with dancing, celebration dinner with relatives and friends and unmitigated joy all around. Every year the date and the location of the festival change.

The Losar festival dates back to pre-Buddhist Bon era in Tibet. As per the ancient tradition a spiritual ceremony was conducted every year in the winter. During this ceremony people offer considerable amount of incense in order to propitiate the local deities and the spirits. Later, this ceremony was converted into a yearly Buddhist festival which most probably started during the tenure of the ninth Tibetan king, Pude Gungyal.

Much ahead of the actual date of the most eagerly awaited festival the locals busy themselves with all sorts of preparations. Careful preparations along with proper rehearsals for the performances during the festivities are started earnestly. People start cleaning their houses discarding unused and old materials so that all evil omens are warded off from life and well-being and prosperity for the a lot of preparations. There are bright and colourful decorations everywhere and lavish offerings called ‘Lama Losar’ are made.

On the day of the festival from the very early morning monks belonging to the Namgyal monastery make religious offerings to Goddess Palden Lhamo, who is considered to be the supreme authority of the protectors of Dharma. With the Dalai Lama leading every spectator joins in the ceremony and offer prayers as the monks of the monastery chant invocation for Palden Lhamo.

On the second day which is called King’s Losar a gathering is held within hall of Excellence of Nirvana and Samsara. His Holiness and the government welcome the dignitaries and exchange greetings with them. Representatives from countries like China, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Mongolia and other places attend the celebrations.

From the third day the monks and the local people begin celebration and join in the festivities with gay abandon.