Bon Losar (Tol Losar)
तोल ल्होसार
January 8, 2027 · Poush 24, 2083 BS
Dolpo, Humla, Jumla, Mugu and Manang districts
Plan a trip around Bon Losar (Tol Losar)History & origin
Predates the Buddhist conversion of the Tibetan plateau, when the Bon religion marked the winter solstice with offerings of incense to local spirits and deities; when Buddhism became dominant, the Tibetan Buddhist New Year was shifted to align with the lunar calendar instead, leaving Tol Losar as an older, solstice-based layer still observed in Nepal's most remote trans-Himalayan districts.
How it’s celebrated
Communities in Dolpo and the surrounding high districts mark the winter solstice New Year with incense offerings, prayers and family gatherings, in a form considered closer to the pre-Buddhist Bon calendar than the later lunar Losar observed by Sherpa and mainstream Tibetan Buddhist communities elsewhere in Nepal.
Tips for visitors
One of the least-visited festival traditions for outsiders — relevant mainly if traveling in Dolpo, Humla, Jumla, Mugu or Manang during the depths of winter.
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