MAGHE SANKRANTI IS THE NAME OF A FAMOUS SIKKIM FESTIVAL THAT MARKS THE ONSET OF WARMER WEATHER IN THE STATE. MAGHEY SANKRANTI MELA IS CELEBRATED WITH EXTREME GRANDEUR AT THE PICTURESQUE HAMLET OF JORETHANG EVERY YEAR. TAKING A HOLY DIP AT THE CONVERGENCE OF SACRED TEESTA AND RANGEET RIVERS IS A NORM OF THIS DAY. THE BIGGEST FAIRS AND MELAS ARE A PART OF THIS CARNIVAL, AND JORETHANG MAGHE MELA IS THE PRIME AMONGST ALL.COUNTLESS TOURISTS FROM DIFFERENT CORNERS OF THE GLOBE GATHER AT THIS FESTIVAL TO BE PART OF ITS ENDLESS ARRAY OF EVENTS WHICH INCLUDE VARIOUS CULTURAL PROGRAMMES, FOOD SHOWS AND SPORTS COMPETITIONS LIKE ARCHERY, PARA-GLIDING, TREKKING, HOT AIR-BALLOONING AND RIVER RAFTING. A GRAND EXHIBIT SHOWCASING HANDICRAFTS AND ARTWORK OF THE LOCAL SIKKIMESE ARTISANS IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS MAGHEY MELA THAT AIMS AT BRINGING THE BRILLIANT CRAFT OF THESE SKILLED WORKERS AT A GLOBAL PLATFORM.

THE TIHAAR FESTIVAL IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT FESTIVAL THAT IS CELEBRATED AS THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS IN THE STATE OF SIKKIM WHICH IS SOMEWHAT LIKE DIWALI.SIKKIM CELEBRATES ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF ALL FESTIVALS ACROSS INDIA WITH GREAT GUSTO AND GLEE. DEEPAVALI OR DIWALI, KNOWN AS TIHAR, IN SIKKIM. THE ENTIRE STATE ILLUMINATES WITH GLITTERING LAMPS AND COLOURFUL GLEAMS IN THIS FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS. THE DURATION OF THIS AMAZING FESTIVAL IS AROUND FIVE DAYS WITH EACH DAY FIXATED ON SOMETHING SPECIAL. ON THE FIRST DAY, CROWS ARE WORSHIPPED – THE SYMBOLS OF SORROW AND SADNESS. THE SECOND DAY CALLS FOR KUKKAR TIHAR WHEN DOGS ARE WORSHIPPED AND OFFERED GARLANDS AND TILAK. EACH DAY OUT OF THE FIVE HONOURS SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ANIMALS IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY.

LOSOONG OR THE SONAM LOSAR-IT IS THE FARMER’S NEW YEAR & IT IS AN IMPORTANT FESTIVAL OF SIKKIM FOR THE TAMANG COMMUNITY THE BIGGEST AND THE WIDESPREAD AMONGST ALL COMMUNITIES IN SIKKIM. THIS CARNIVAL TAKES PLACE IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY. THE SPECTACLE CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT OF GREAT ENERGY AND POSITIVITY. BESIDES OFFERING PRAYERS TO LORD BUDDHA FOR HIS BIRTH AND PRESENCE, TRADITIONAL DANCE ON DAMPHU (A ROUND HAND DRUM) IS A MAJOR HIGHLIGHT OF THIS FESTIVAL.

THE 10TH DAY OF THE 5TH MONTH IN THE TIBETAN CALENDAR MARKS THE FESTIVAL AND BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF GURU PADMASAMBHAVA. THE OCCASION BRINGS THE CHAAMS AT RUMTEK MONASTERY CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE GREAT SAGE, ALSO KNOWN AS GURU RIMPOCHE-THE FOUNDER OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM. THIS CEREMONY IS CELEBRATED WITH GREAT ZEAL IN THE RUMTEK MONASTERY AND ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF DEVOTEES AND TOURISTS.

A FESTIVAL THAT WAS ALSO DECLARED A STATE HOLIDAY IN THE YEAR 2011. A REMARKABLE DAY FOR THE NEWAR COMMUNITY OF THE NEPALESE LIVING IN SIKKIM. THE NEPALESE COMMUNITY IN SIKKIM CELEBRATE THIS FESTIVAL AND THERE IS A HUGE FANFARE DURING IT IN THE ENTIRE STATE. IT CELEBRATES THE OBEISANCE FOR RAIN GOD INDRA. DURING THE FESTIVAL, ONE SEEKS THE BLESSINGS OF THE RAIN GODS IN THE FORMS OF RAIN AND SHOWERS. THERE ARE HUGE CHARIOT PROCESSIONS, DANCE PERFORMANCES, USE OF MASKS AND MANY CLASSICAL DANCE PERFORMANCES. THIS IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE BEST TIME TO PLAN A TRIP TO SIKKIM AND OTHER NEARBY AREAS.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AN OFFBEAT FESTIVAL IN SIKKIM, YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS FESTIVAL OF MUSIC. 3-DAY MERRIMENT OF DANCE, FOOD, AND MUSIC, UP THE HILL, AT MANGAN, CAN BECOME AN UNFORGETTABLE MEMORY. YOU CAN CHEER THE BANDS THAT COME FROM ALL OVER THE REGION, AS WELL AS FROM THE OTHER STATES OF NORTHEAST INDIA. THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF HILLS, MUSIC AND COLD WEATHER MAKES IT A GREAT EXPERIENCE. AN EXHIBITION CUM SALE OF LOCAL HANDICRAFTS TAKES PLACE.

THIS FESTIVAL IS HELD IN GANGTOK EVERY YEAR IN THE MONTH OF MAY, IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SIKKIM’S RESPECT FOR NATURE. ORCHIDS, GLADIOLI, FERNS, HERBS, ROSES, CACTI, CREEPERS, YOU NAME IT THEY HAVE IT ON DISPLAY. THE COLORFUL DISPLAY AND THE INTOXICATING FRAGRANCE OF SO MANY FLOWERS MINGLING WILL DEFINITELY SOOTHE YOUR SOUL. NOTHING IS MORE EYE-PLEASING THAN LOOKING AT ENDLESS SPECIES OF FRAGRANT FLOWERS.GANGTOK, THE CAPITAL CITY OF SIKKIM, AND ALSO ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN SIKKIM, IS A HOST TO THIS ANNUAL EXTRAVAGANZA.

DASHAIN FESTIVAL IS ONE OF THE MAJOR HINDU FESTIVALS WHICH IS PRIMARILY CELEBRATED ALL OVER NEPAL AND ALSO IN PLACES SUCH AS SIKKIM WITH LOT OF JOY AND ENTHUSIASM. IT IS ONE OF THE MAIN FESTIVALS OF THE HINDU NEPALESE OF SIKKIM THIS IMPORTANT HINDU FESTIVAL, PAYS HOMAGE AND HONOUR TO THE GREAT CONQUEST OF THE GODS OVER THE EVIL DEMONS. THE VICTORY IS SYMBOLIC. GODDESS DURGA, THE SYMBOL OF POWER, IS WORSHIPED ARDENTLY DURING THIS FESTIVAL. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DASHAIN IS CONSIDERABLE IN THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE IN GENERAL, ESPECIALLY THE HINDUS. SIMILAR TO 9-DAY NAVRATRI AND THE 10TH-DAY DUSSHERA IN INDIA, DASSIN MARKS THE 10TH DAY. WITH AN IMMENSE AURA OF FESTIVITIES ALL AROUND THE STATE, THE ELDERS OF THE HOUSE GIFT THE YOUNGER ONES WITH THEIR BLESSINGS. HUGE IDOLS OF GODDESSES DURGA STATUES WERE TAKEN AS A PROCESSION TO IMMERSE IN HOLY RIVERS THE FOLLOWING DAY TO MARK THE END OF DASHAIN. A SPECIAL KIND OF CHARM WILL ENVELOP YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS.

IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FESTIVALS IN SIKKIM AND QUITE SPECIAL TO THE LEPCHA COMMUNITY. THIS OCCASION MARKS THE IMPORTANCE OF MOUNT TENDONG, WHICH IS LOCATED SOUTH OF SIKKIM. THE LEGEND HAS IT THAT THIS MOUNT SAVED THE LEPCHA COMMUNITY FROM GREAT FLOODS. THE OCCASION MARKS THE TIME WHEN THE ANCESTORS OF THE LOCAL LEPCHA TRIBE WERE SAVED BY TENDONG HILL FROM A FLASH FLOOD LASTING 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS. THIS THANKSGIVING FESTIVAL LASTS FOR THREE DAYS THAT SHOWCASE VARIOUS CULTURAL PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS COSTUMES, ORNAMENTS, AND TRADITIONAL LEPCHA FOODS. A TREK THAT GOES TO THIS HILL FROM RAVANGLA IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL. IF YOU ARE PLANNING A VACATION TO SIKKIM, THIS COULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE THIS FESTIVAL AND INDUCE SOME ADRENALINE RUSH ON YOUR JOURNEY.

LOSAR IS A TIBETAN WORD THAT TRANSLATES TO NEW YEAR IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. ANOTHER OCCASION OF FESTIVITIES, THIS DAY BRINGS THE TIBETAN NEW YEAR. LIKE MOST OF THE SIKKIM FESTIVALS’ DEDICATION FOR THE LAND AND HARVEST, LOSAR MATCHES WITH THE END OF THE HARVESTING PERIOD, ROUGHLY FEBRUARY. THE MAJOR ATTRACTION HAPPENS TWO DAYS BEFORE LOSAR WHEN CHAAM IS PERFORMED AT RUMTEK MONASTERY. IT IS SIMPLY A TREAT TO WATCH. THE OCCASION IS REALLY SPECIAL TO THE TIBETAN BUDDHISTS WHO ARE RESIDING IN THIS BEAUTIFUL STATE. ALONG WITH THE OTHER THINGS, THE RITUAL OF MAKING A MIXTURE OF ROASTED BARLEY FLOUR AND BUTTER AND OFFERING IT ON HOME ALTARS IS SIGNIFICANT. IT IS BASICALLY PRAYING FOR A GOOD HARVEST IN THE CURRENT NEW YEAR.

THE WORD BHUMCHU TRANSLATES TO A SACRED POT OF WATER. A POT (BUM) IS FILLED WITH THE HOLY WATER (CHU) EVERY YEAR. THE LAMA AT TASHIDING MONASTERY OPENS IT TO DISTRIBUTE IT AMONGST THE DEVOTEES. IT IS SAID THAT THE LEVEL OF WATER PREDICTS THE PROSPERITY OF THE UPCOMING YEAR. THIS EXTRAVAGANT OCCASION IS CELEBRATED WITH MUCH ENTHUSIASM AND LOVE. DURING THE CLOSURE CEREMONY ON THE SECOND DAY, THE POT IS RE-FILLED WITH THE WATER FROM THE SACRED RIVER NEARBY AND SEALED TO BE OPENED NEXT YEAR. IT IS A GREAT OCCASION FOR THE TOURISTS TO TAKE A PEEK OR MAYBE A DEEP INSIGHT INTO BUDDHISM AND ITS CUSTOMS AND RITUALS. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST ZEALOUS FESTIVALS

ALSO KNOWN AS THE TRIPLE BLESSED FESTIVAL, THIS DAY CELEBRATES THE THREE PHASES OF LORD BUDDHA’S LIFE. THIS IS A VERY SACRED BUDDHIST FESTIVAL, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MAHAYANA BUDDHISTS. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY THE BUDDHISTS VISIT THE MONASTERIES, OFFER THE PRAYERS AND BUTTER LAMPS AS THEY WERE THE THREE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXISTENCE OF BUDDHA WHICH ARE CELEBRATED AT THIS EVENT. IT IS AN AUSPICIOUS MONTH FOR SIKKIMESE BUDDHISTS, ESPECIALLY THE MAHAYANA COMMUNITY. DEVOTEES FLOCK TO THE MONASTERIES TO OFFER PRAYERS AND SPECIAL BUTTER LAMPS TO COMMEMORATE THE THREE PHASES OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA—HIS BIRTH, ENLIGHTENMENT, AND ATTAINING MOKSHA.CELEBRATED ON THE FULL MOON DAY OF THE 4TH MONTH IN THE BUDDHIST LUNAR CALENDAR, WHEN THE REST OF INDIA CELEBRATES BUDH POORNIMA, WITH PEOPLE HOLDING AND BOWING TO HOLY TEXTS AND LORD’S STATUES WHILE MONKS, DANCING AND PLAYING MUSIC, THE SPECTACLE ITSELF IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP.