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