Religious3 days

Losoong

Sikkim's New Year under Kanchenjunga

18–20 Dec 2026Gangtok, SikkimLow crowdIn 238 days
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Significance

Marks the end of the harvest season in Sikkim. The Pang Lhabsol prayer day also honours Kanchenjunga as the guardian deity of the land.

The Bhutia community's new year festival, marked by Cham mask dances at Rumtek, Phodong, and Tsuklakhang monasteries. Ends with the Chaam of the Black Hat Dancers — a ritual exorcism of the old year.

First-time visitor

Visit Rumtek for Day 1 of Cham, then Tsuklakhang on Day 2 — each monastery's style is distinct.

What to see

  • Cham mask dances at Rumtek Monastery
  • Black Hat dance — exorcism of the old year
  • Archery tournaments in rural Sikkim

Festival foods

MomosThukpaSel RotiPhagshapa

Best for

spiritual travellersphotographyoff-the-beaten-path

Travel tips

  1. 1Rumtek is 24 km from Gangtok — start early
  2. 2December is peak cold; layered warm clothing essential

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Gangtok and Tsomgo Lake — linked destination for Losoong

Linked destination

Gangtok and Tsomgo Lake

Sikkim

Sikkim's capital at 1,650 m gazes straight at Kanchenjunga — the world's third-highest peak — while the glacial Tsomgo Lake at 3,780 m freezes mid-winter and blooms with primulas in spring.

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From the YatraJunction journal

Sikkim: Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and the Shadow of Kanchenjunga

Sikkim · 10 min read

Sikkim: Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and the Shadow of Kanchenjunga

India's smallest state by population, its second-smallest by area, and home to Buddhism's living Karmapa — Sikkim is a 7,096 sq km Himalayan kingdom that joined India only in 1975 and still feels unlike anywhere else.

Holi in Mathura: Where Krishna’s Colour Still Lingers

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Holi in Mathura: Where Krishna’s Colour Still Lingers

Forty days of flower-fights, turmeric, and divine mischief in the twin towns where Lord Krishna was born and fell in love. The most ancient Holi on earth.

Kohima's Hornbill Festival: Ten Days With 17 Naga Tribes

Nagaland · 9 min read

Kohima's Hornbill Festival: Ten Days With 17 Naga Tribes

Feathered headdresses, mithun-horn drinking cups, war dances around bonfires — how a government cultural showcase became India's most authentic tribal festival, and the WW2 battlefield that sits one kilometre away.

Questions & Answers

About Losoong

Losoong 2026 is scheduled for 18–20 Dec 2026. That's 238 days from today.

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