Ladakh celebrates Losar Festival to mark Ladakhi New Year

Ladakh is celebrating Losar Festival today, December 24, to mark the Ladakhi New Year. Ladakhi New Year is the major socio-religious festival of Ladakh celebrated in winter.

AIR correspondent reports, the lighting of prayer lamps, illumination of buildings, houses, religious places like monasteries, stupas, and other business establishments making appear that the entire Ladakh is lit in lights are part of celebrations of the Losar Festival.

The Losar festivities continue for nine more days from the new year with the offering of prayers in the name of God and Goddess, dances and songs in honour of Ibex and the pilgrimage of Mount Kailash.

The new year is welcomed with dough Models of Ibex Sun and Moon and flour-painted lucky signs on the walls of the kitchen. The third day of the new year is celebrated with the sighting of first moon of the year with a prayer for bumper crops in the coming year.

Losar Festival is also one of the major attractions for tourists in the winter season, as the festival is largely celebrated with several ritual performances and traditional events of songs and dances.