Tamang Selo with Damphu

Tamangs performing cultural dance...

Phafulla sabai tamang haru lai ani happy lochhar.

Tamang Boys and Girls in Tamang Dress performing tamang dance

Tamangs kids are Posing for photo during lochhar

A Tamang woman and child at lochhar

Celebrating Dragon year of Tamangs

A New Year of Tamangs (Lochhar)

Tamang New Year (Lochhar)

Tamang are very rich in their tradition and culture. They have their own language, culture, dresses and social structure. Tamang generally believes in Buddhism. It is said 90% of Tamang are following Buddism as their religion. Tamang language is one of the members of Tibaten Burmeli family.

The Tamangs have their own music. Their musical instrument is called Damphu. It is a small round drum where one side of the circular wood is covered by the skin of a goat and is joined with thirty two small bamboo pencil-like pieces.

It is said long back, Tamang used to move from places to places for food and shelters. They live on wild fruits, yams and animals’ meat. They used to hunt for the food all day long and share food with the people living together in the temporary shelters. Once it happened, a leader of a group named Peng Dorjay went for hunting food along with some members, they were empty hands throughout the day. In the evening they were returning back home without food, the leader saw a goat grazing on a high cliff. He aimed his arrow at the goat and killed the goat. He skinned off the goat and dried the skin on the under the sun. As soon the skin went dry, he made a small, round drum and started playing it, thanking God for food. The same drum is called Damphu.

Tamang songs are known as Tamang selo. There are songs of humor and wit, philosophical thoughts, and of life's joys and sorrows. Tamang Selo has transcended the boundaries of linguistic, cultural and social limits. Tamang Selo music is one of the very popular Nepali music through Nepal.

Tamangs are playing damfu during tamang culture

Celebrating tamang culture.
Tamang girls in tamang dress in Lochhar

This traditional Tamang dance was performed as part of a promotion of the heritage trip in the area. Conservation of traditions such as this, while still avoiding the commodification of culture is a big challenge. Question is: should they be performing this traditional dance in front of oogling tourists for money? The dances actually have a purpose and timing....

Tamang Mother and Kid

The name Tamang, normally it is Tamag in Tibetan, means horse warriors, Tamags were border police sent by king Trisong of Tibet around 755. They are also good mountaineers and trekking guides. Many of Tamang have been recruited to serve in Indian and British Gurkha regiments since British Raj.

Happy Sonam Lochhar

Happy Sonam Lhochhar 2848
Happy Lochhar to all Tamangs

Happy Lochhar
Happy Losar
Happy Lhosar
Happy New year 2848 to all Tamangs

Sonam Losar falls on different dates each year in Bikram Sambat and English calendar. This calendar is ancient Tibetan/Chinese lunar calendar. The New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice (rarely the third if an intercalary month intervenes). That is it is on Magh Sukla Pratipada, under eastern lunar calendar.

Tamang has a tradition of counting year with association of symbols of 12 different animals. It starts with Rat and ends on Boar.

Note: The new year celebration dates may vary one or two days

How do we celebrate Sonam Losar?

The last day of 12th month of the year is a time to clean and prepare a welcoming atmosphere for New Year. The monasteries perform a special ritual with mask dance to expel negative forces.
The New Year celebration varies. People go to Monasteries, Stupas and Chaityas and perform ceremonial rituals there.

People buy new dresses and decorate their houses according to their living standards. Tradition is there every family member thoroughly cleans their house to sweep away any bad fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors are decorated with colorful papers and cloths and couplets with popular themes of "good fortune" or "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". People get together and have dinner with families.

The feasts include items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet deserts.

Musical programs are performed with Tamang Selo in the beat of Damfu.

Now-a-days Tamangs in Kathmandu and nearby gather in Tudikhel to celebrate of Soman Losar. They organized different programs there. The attractions are generally pooja, Lok Dohari competitions, Food Festivals, Dramas, etc.

Tamangs are seen in their own costume dresses. The Tudekhel (Open public ground in heart of Kathmandu city) is full with the crowd with Losar celebrations. Women and girls wear their dresses and jewelry and most of them wear a traditional hat.

Losar brings joy to all Tamang and Nepali as a whole.

Happy Sonam Lochhar 2848
Happy New Year to all Tamangs