Lhosar in Annapurna Rural Municipality

Lhosar is a major festival of Annapurna Rural Municipality. ‘Lho’ means group and ‘sar’ means new. Gurung community divides time into a cycle of 12 years and to each year a special name is given, which is known as ‘barga’ (Lho). According to the oriental astrological system, there are 12 Lhos namely “garuda”, “serpent”, “horse”, “sheep”, “monkey”, “bird”, “dog”, “deer”, “mouse”, “cow”, “tiger” and “cat”. The 12 Lhos are arranged on a single piece of paper closely following the Tibetan Calender with its 12 animals. When there was no calendar system, the community used this chart to calculate the age of people.

Gurungs celebrate Tamu Lhosar which falls on the 15th Poush of the Nepali Calendar. On this day, all family members come together at a common place and celebrate by wearing cultural dresses with dances and folk songs. 

Hinduism and Buddhism are prevalent in this region. Various mythical structures related to Buddhism and Hinduism along with Gumbas can be observed throughout the Annapurna trail. It is the natural and cultural heritage that has made Annapurna Area a popular tourist destination in Nepal.