| Teesta Tea Tourism Festival | | | | |
| | | | Nyempa Guzom |
| Teesta Tea and Tourism Festival is an | | | | |
| inter-state festival celebrated every year | | | | Nyempa Guzom is a festival that is celebrated |
| either in November or December at Darjeeling | | | | within the Monasteries in Sikkim. Common |
| and Dooars of West Bengal and at Sikkim. The | | | | people visit and offer gifts of fruits, |
| festival is aimed for the promotion of | | | | sweets & even donations and pray for the good |
| tourism. The West Bengal Tourism, Darjeeling | | | | will of their family and beloved ones. It |
| Gorkha Hill Council, and Sikkim Tourism, | | | | falls on the 6th and 7th day of the 11th |
| supported by the Tourism Department of India | | | | month of Tibetan calendar, which sometime |
| Government, jointly organize the festival. It | | | | around December - January. This is observed |
| holds many cultural programs, water sports, | | | | few days after Loosung. |
| food carnival, toy train ride, and film | | | | |
| fests. | | | | Tamu Lochar |
| | | | |
| Sikkimese New Year | | | | This festival is celebrated by Gurung |
| | | | Communities in the state. It is symbolizes |
| Losoong is the New Year for the people of | | | | the arrival of Tamu New Year. It falls on Pus |
| Sikkim. It generally, falls in the month of | | | | pandra i.e 15th day of the nine month of |
| December and marks the end of harvesting | | | | Nepali Calendar, which is sometime during |
| season. The highlights of the festival are | | | | December. This marks the celebration after a |
| Chaam dances and archery contests. Losoong | | | | year's hardwork. This month is barred from |
| festival is also famous as Sonam Losoong | | | | any kind of ploughing and digging. According |
| (Farmers' New Year). It falls on the 18th day | | | | to legends, the ancestors of Tamus known as |
| of the 10th month of the Tibetan lunar | | | | Khemas did a long meditation and Lord Buddha |
| calendar and dots the agricultural New Year | | | | himself appeared to them on this day of Pus |
| when rice and grains are in plenty. People of | | | | pandra and enlightened them. Thus, this day |
| Sikkim celebrate this day by performing a | | | | was very auspicious to them and they then |
| very famous Chaam dance. They also make | | | | started the Tamu Buddhism. On this day the Lo |
| offerings to the gods, both in gompas and in | | | | (birth sign) changes and is considered |
| their domestic shrines. Sonam Losoong is more | | | | propitious for calculating the good and bad |
| of a private affair. People get up before | | | | scope of particular lo whereby the monks |
| dawn to take bath and wear new clothes. | | | | declare specific prayers to be performed for |
| Later, all the family members sit together to | | | | each lo. All types of decisions are taken and |
| pray for peace and prosperity. This festival | | | | debts are repaid on this date. The festivity |
| lasts for 15 days. | | | | lasts for three days. |