SONAM LOCHHAR

Hi, all phyafulla!!, ma sabaiTamang dajubhai didi bahiniharu lai sambidhan savako chunabma naya nepal bnauna ra hamro adhikar sthapit garna hamrai tamang harulai mat diyera jitau bhanna chanchhu.. yo smaya hamro lagi ekdam mahtopurna nirnaya garne samaya ho..ra tamang netaharule pani afno jatiko utthanko lagi ladne yo antim samaya ho .. ma bidesi bhumima bhayera vote garna npayakoma sarai dukhi chhu... all the best all Tamang Samaj.

SONAM LOCHHAR

Hi, all phyafulla!!, ma sabaiTamang dajubhai didi bahiniharu lai sambidhan savako chunabma naya nepal bnauna ra hamro adhikar sthapit garna hamrai tamang harulai mat diyera jitau bhanna chanchhu.. yo smaya hamro lagi ekdam mahtopurna nirnaya garne samaya ho..ra tamang netaharule pani afno jatiko utthanko lagi ladne yo antim samaya ho .. ma bidesi bhumima bhayera vote garna npayakoma sarai dukhi chhu... all the best all Tamang Samaj.

LOCHHAR

Participants performing during cultural showSangmo Yonjan-Tamang in Kathamnduकाठमाडौं, February 9, 2008 -The biggest festival of Tamang community Sonam Lochhar was celebrated in several areas of the country, including Kathmandu valley, with great fanfare and joviality by the Tamang people, organizing a variety of cultural programmes.The Tamang people marked their 2844th Jiwa (mouse) year, New Year in Kathmandu on 25th Magh (Feb.8th) exchanging good wishes and warm greetings among friends, family, relatives while feasting and dancing.Tamang girls dancing joyfully in their traditional attire Though 25th of Magh (Feb.8th) is the main day for celebrating Lhochhar or Lhosar, people of different regions celebrated from the beginning of Magh month in their own ways.The meaning of Lho is year and ‘Chaar’ is new. Thus, Lochhar means New Year. There are altogether 12 Lho in Tamang calendar. Every Lho is named after birds or animals such as mouse, ox, tiger, cat/rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog and pig. Among these twelve Lho, one Lho changes every year. In this series, Jiwa(mouse) year has begun this time.Due to ideological differences, individual Tamang organizations celebrated Lhochhar in separate venues. At the function organized by National Federation of Tamang(NFT) in International Conference Centre (ICC), New Baneshwor, Tamang leaders emphasized unity among Tamang organizations to ensure the proportional representative of Tamang in April 10 Constitutional Assembly (CA) Poll.“It is high time to unite all the Tamang organizations to win political achievement,” formal minister Satyaman Lama, stated.President of NFT, D.B Bomjan said Lhosar is not just for celebration but also to inform the Tamang community about the upcoming CA election.Similarly, Nepal Tamang Ghedung(NTG) ran a cultural rally and show at Tudhekhel, Khulamanch where political leaders expressed warm greetings of Lhochhar to the Tamang people.Nepal Rastriya Tamang Ghedung also organized a gathering to mark the festival Lhochhar at Nepal Pragya Pratisthan, Kamaladi on the same day.The common objective of these groups is to establish federal Tamangsaling autonomous state with republic.Tamang personalities attending the function to mark Lochhar festival. Photos by Sangmo YonjanThis year the Nepal Government recognized the greatest festival of indigenous Tamang community Lochhar as a national festival and declared it a national holiday. The government has recognized eight more ethnic festivals for the first time in Nepal’s history.The following national holidays have now been officially established: Tamu Lhochhar for Tamu; Sonam Lhochhar for Tamang, Yholmo and others; Udhauli & Ubhauli for Kiratis (Limbus and Rais); Siruwa Pawani for Rajbansi; Maghi for Tharu; Chhat for Maithili; Eid for Muslims and Christmas for Christians. The Tamang people appreciated the government’s decision to grant a national holiday for celebration of their main festival, Lhochhar.

YOUTH OF TAMANG

Straightforward 19 years old Sangeeta Moktan from Kathmandu feels bad for not being able to speak mother tongue.
" I have grown up in two different culture because of my parents' inter-caste marriage so I am deprived of learning Tamang language" she quickly explains," Now I realize how important language is to show our cultural identity."
However, she is well prepared for the introductory round of the grand finale where all the contestants have to introduce themselves in mother tongue.
Like other participants, Gyanu Maya Tamang, 17 of Solukhumbu district also claims herself as a deserving contestant for Miss Tamang. She seems confident about wining the title", I know the language, pretty aware about the culture and capable enough to exhibit my inner talent." Gyanu Maya gives reasons with a smile.
Blessed with good height Sima Moktan, 17 of Bara, expresses her interest to bring out the Tamang identity through modeling. "However, the education is my

ABOUT HISTRY OF TAMANG

1. 
   
   Palden Dorje planned to give blessings from the 18th to the 23rd of November, 2009 at the site of Gadhi Mai Mela. However, for security reasons priests were unwilling to allot a space for the puja. Palden Dorje plans to make an appearance at the mela on the 24th of November when the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of animals take place.
   Palden Dorje became world famous when he began a six year meditation at fifteen to promote world peace in May of 2005. He meditated for at least ten months in front of crowds apparently without sustenance in Bara District’s Ratanpuri before disappearing to continue his meditation in private.
   Last year, he gave blessings in November. Approximately 400,000 pilgrims queued in the jungle to receive his blessings over a 12 day period. He made two speeches in which he urged people to recognize the compassion in their hearts, and their connection to one another through the all-encompassing soul.

Buddhist festivals

Buddhist festivals are always joyful occasions. Every May, on the night of the full moon, Buddhists all over the world celebrate Vesak for the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha such a long time ago.
In the Theravada tradition, practices observed by laypeople at Vesak include the observance of eight precepts (the regular five plus not taking food after midday and celibacy and not over indulging in sleep). Also the laypeople may participate in chanting and meditation and listening to sermons.
In Thai villages people get ready during the day. They clean their houses and hang up garlands of flowers. The men take clean sand from the river bank and spread it over the temple courtyard, where everyone walks with bare feet. Statues of the Buddha are brought out of the temple to be washed and polished and all the books come out to be dusted. When it is dark, the villagers gather with candles or small oil lamps. The biggest Buddha statue is put on a platform outside the temple and lights shine all round it. Scented water is thrown onto it. Holding their lights, everyone starts to move round the Buddha statue so that in the end it is encircled with light.
• Can a non-Buddhist attend a Buddhist service?
Many, perhaps even most, Buddhist temples welcome non-Buddhists. Larger, more well-established temples often post announcements in local newspapers as to their schedules of services. It is appropriate to call ahead to ask whether visitors are welcome at a given religious observance. Visitors are free to participate in communal ritual as the wish. Major ritual activities include offering incense, chanting texts from the Sutras or singing hymns, and quiet meditation. Guests who choose not to participate should observe in silence from the back or side of the temple.
• What about Buddhist marriage ceremonies?
Monks are prohibited from being marriage celebrants but they can "bless" the couple by reciting the Dharma (chanting) after the secular ceremony.
• What is a Buddhist funeral like?
A simple ceremony where the good deeds of the departed are remembered, a Loving-kindness meditation can be done and a sharing of merits.
• What is a Stupa?
When the person who has died is a Buddha (enlightened one) or an Arhant (saint) or an especially great teacher, relics are collected after the cremation. These may be placed in a stupa or pagoda (burial mound) or in a Buddha-rupa (image of the Buddha). Whenever the Buddhist sees a stupa in the countryside or a Buddha-rupa in a shrine room it is a reminder of the Dharma (teaching) and it is honoured because of that.
(Written by the team at BuddhaNet.Net)

SINDUPALCHOK TAMANG CULTURE

Helambu trek is situated north-east of Kathmandu and covers the diverse range of brilliant green valleys, misty rhododendron forests, and distant horizons of snowy peaks and the vivid contrast of Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist cultures. The Helambu trek is the ideal short trek and this Helambu region remains relatively un-spoilt. Here in Helembu you will experience the yolmo culture of high mountains villages, marvel at vistas of lonely high mountains and watch enthralled as the farmers toil in the fields using hand made tools and teams of water buffalo. Helambu valley trek noted for its scenic grandeur and pleasant climate, lie in the north of the Kathmandu Valley. In Helambu one can stay in highland monastery villages and small settlements in pristine forests. The Sherpa village's of Helambu focuses the charming enclave of farmers and yak herders. Helambu trek starts with a scenic drive through the Nepali country side to Sundarijal. The most accessible of all trekking regions, Helambu offers a low altitude, distinctly enjoyable walk. Anyone with sound health can join this trek since this trek has been set on the basis of slow hike pace to get full acclimatization with a view to enable our clients to get ultimate fun of trekking in this Himalayan paradise. In Tamang and Sherpa villages meet friendly and hospitable people with strong family and cultural ties. Helambu provides an instant Himalayan cultural trek for those with limited time. This trek is an easy and enjoyable trip conducted at the average altitude of 3500m. The trek takes you through Thadepati to Tarke Gyang, where a choice of trails opens up. However we go along the south ridge through Sermathang, down to the river at Melamchi, the site of a mega project to bring drinking water to Kathmandu via a series of tunnels. The Helambu trek concludes with a drive down to Kathmandu, after a night's camp at Melamchi bazaar.