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:: Tamu Cultures
>>Major socio-cultural-religious rites and festivals :: |
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i)
Tamu Lhosar/Puspandra: |
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The Tamu Lhochchar is the New Year for the Gurungs
and it is celebrated by Tamus on every 15 Poush of Nepali calendar
which falls on/around 30 December of the English calendar. It
is associated with the natural phenomena and the morning sunrise
on of 15th Poush is the New Year. |
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It marks the beginning of the Tamu Sambat or
Gurung Calendar year. Lhochchar also heralds the change in ‘Lho’.
Gurungs divide time into cycles of twelve years (lohokor), to
each year of which a special name is given, which is known as
barga (lho). According to the oriental astrological system,
there are 12 Lhos – garuda, serpent, horse sheep, monkey,
bird, dog, deer, mouse, cow, tiger, and cat. So therefore, each
year is marked by a particular animal and they are arranged
in a single circle, following closely the Tibetan calendar with
12 animals. However, these animals may vary in the Tibetan Lhosar
and Chinese New Year . The Lho returns after the twelve-year
cycle. By knowing a man’s barga, his age can readily be
calculated.
Poush 15 heralds the end of the winter and start of the spring
and traditionally it is celebrated by having ‘ban bhoj’
(‘shyo kain’ in Tamu), merry-making with, songs
and dances and playing traditional games. These days, especially
in major cities, all the Gurungs come together at a common
place and celebrate the event by having various cultural procession,
cultural programmes and feasts. |
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ii) Mange Shakranti: |
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Coming Soon... |
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iii) Phagu Purnima: |
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Coming Soon... |
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iv) Toho Tehn: |
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The Toho Tehn festival takes place three times
on Sundays in the month of Chaitra (March-April) and Shrawan
(July-August). During these three days of holiday, people endeavor
to chase away the evil spirits, carriers of sickness, from the
village. When night has fallen, a group of boys between 11and
16 sacrifices a chicken and go successively into each Gurung
house in the village with incense in a bowl. The children walk
through the village making a deafening noise with drums, cymbals
and bells, etc. to chase away the bad spirits who social evils,
natural calamities, sicknesses and cultural erosion. |
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v) Shawne Shakranti: |
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Coming Soon... |
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vi) Kartik Purnima: |
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Coming Soon... |
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vii) Sildo Thi-Ba (Sildo or Sildo-Naldo): |
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Sildo thiba is basically the worshipping of natural
deities and to show respect and honor towards gods and spirits
that protect the village. The name sildo-naldo could be analysed
in the following way: ‘si’ means ‘rice grain’;
‘na’ means ‘rain’; and ldo is the verb
‘to do’ (la-ba). Sildo-naldo thus means the divinity
that ‘made the grain and the rain’. It is done five
times in a year in Chaitra, Jesth, Bhadra, Asoj and Kartik,
on a Tuesday nearest to the fullest moon. A Gurung priest (pachyu)
performs the prayers in front of an altar and asks the sildo-naldo
to protect the village. Ten cones of rice are made, out of which
one of the largest symbolises sildo-naldo. Offering is made
in grains and an animal sacrificed at the end after the prayer.
Gurungs worship many gods, goddesses, as well as their divine
ancestors (pitree and kul). Hindu deities are also included
in their pantheon. The pachyu, gyabre as well as lama are
used for religious rites and rituals. |
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