DANGPA LOSAR

                                                  

This time it is water female snake year according to a lunisolar Chinese-tibetan calendar. 

Bhutan’s calendar is not different than theirs. Most of the Asian countries follow it. India has lunar calendar bit different than lunisolar calendar.  This Buddhist calendar (easy to say it), was first time translated to Tibetan from Sanskrit in 1027 A.D based on the kalachakra tantra. Unlike Gregorian calendar, here the years are grouped in sixty to call as rabjung. We are living in 17^th rabjung. 2013 is the 27^th year of the the 17^th rabjung. In this calendar each year is associated with an animal and element. There are twelve animals,

 Mouse, Bull,Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Ape, Bird, Dog, Pig. There are five elements, Fire, Earth, Iron, Water, Wood. Every year is male or female in alternate basis but the elements remain same for consecutive female and male years. In general there are 12 months a year but in lunisolar calendar, thirteeth month is added every two to three years so that average lunisolar year comes equal to solar year. This is known as daw lhakpa.  First year of current ranbjung began in 1987. First year of the drukchu kor started in 1024 with female fire hare year. By then, 1025 was male fire dragon year, 1026 was female earth snake year, and 1027 was male earth horse year and so on. Every month in this calendar begins and ends with a new moon. The first date in the first month of every year is known as losar-new year. It is known as dangpa losar in Bhutan.

On this day, nation is declared holiday and people celebrates their new year with family gatherings, special meal and entertaining activities. In modern trend, which Bhutan rapidly crept into, people are not much excited to celebrate the New Year. Mostly the youngsters pack up with English calendar new years only. In early days, unheard of English systems made Bhutanese enjoyed, what we call “rang gee dongkha yoe mii zash” unfortunately opening into outside world, Bhutanese started smelling other’s meal tasty and at this juncture there are handful of people who considers dangpa losar a bigger event than first January.  This scenario is mostly visible in fast growing cities like thimphu, paro and phuntsholing.  Still then, remote corners of the country hills up for the event, getting ready with special menus on their meal and playing gadgets.  I was one of those. Dangpa losar is the day to get rid of kharang and usual solo kamtang. You will hear the father chopping meat when you are on bed and it is the day you will wake up early in the morning together with your mother. And it is the day you will completely watch your mother cooking. Of course you will help your dad to hold phagsha paa for shaving away its hair. The morning session starts with thuup( the best thukpa ever), zow, tengma, biscuits…and ends with the grand breakfast. Did you ever keep your left over in the refrigerator for lunch? J  After that children sing, dance and play while elders will be on games like archery, khuru etc. the night will be gathering of relatives, serving a forceful yuechang now and then. Some old will sing and some will accompany the tone. I remember my grandpa sings good while drunk. People will have the last celebrated day of the bygone year and first day of the coming year fully cherished.

I want to celebrate like this, like I was eight years old. Sadly I am college student now, far away from home and on top of it when I have classes, sorry dangpa losar, I will celebrate you more next time. Till then, I wish my sisters, brothers, inlaws, uncles, aunts, dad, mom, and friends all very very HAPPY DANGPA LOSAR. May this year bring peace and prosperity.