Lhasa for Losar

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As a symbol of good fortune for the New Year. Tibetans fill a colorful wooden box with grain, tsampa (roasted barely flour), wheat stalks and other decorations. The Tibetan New Year, or Losar, is mainly a time for visiting temples, family and friends.

Outside the Jokhang, hawkers are selling red helium balloons with prayer flags attached to them, a hybrid of Chinese and Tibetan colors and forms of auspiciousness for the New Year. Every few minutes someone releases a balloon into the sharp winter air so that the prayers stamped onto a string of flags can be spread by the wind. Food stalls and games are set up along the road in a festival like atmosphere.

The night before, New Year's Eve, fireworks were set off from every rooftop in utter anarchy. A 360 degree experience and testament to the vibrancy of the city.

Now, a long line of pilgrims winds around the Jokhang. They wait for hours to catch a glimpse of the famous Jowo Shakyamuni. We opt instead to go to Ramoche, almost as popular and with a somewhat shorter line. While waiting, we amuse ourselves observing the various tactics used by young guys to cut the line and try to block their attempts when they decide that tourists make an easy target.

Visiting Friends

People meander on the way to and from visits to friends and family for days on end. My colleagues and I are feted at the home of different friends each day, made to sit for hours while endless plates of food appear. They key to such meals is good company, since the host disappears to make preparations shortly after you arrive.

In Kathamandu, I worked with a tutor who came highly recommended from several friends. Since he had not seen his family in Lhasa for fourteen years, I brought a video of his Losar greetings and visited his family in a farming village on the outskirts of Lhasa with my colleagues. Very touching as the family gathered to hear his words and sent back their own greetings!

Bumpari

Across the Kuru Zampa, pilgrims climb a sacred hill called Bumpari on the third day of Losar to offer juniper into blazing fires as a purification or lhasang. Smoke billowed across a predawn, charcoal sky from the various points on the hill, where it crests as it rises above the city of Lhasa. At sunrise, there is a stream of silhouettes across the hillside with scattered lungta floating above them in the air. These are multicolored paper tossed into the air to disperse prayers for good fortune printed on them.

Rumor had it that some Tibetans might burn fur that day, per the big D's advice at the Kalachakra. But nothing happened in Lhasa that day. Apparently, in Rebkong and elsewhere, fur from the collars and trims of traditional clothing was burned. Hurray for those of us who love faux fur. It's now the rage.

Nangma and More

Other than that, we went out a few nights to a nangma, which mixes traditional song and dance with pop music, glitzy costumes and disco. Very eclectic. The rock band Simi Gupa played one night. Fun to see them at last!

And in the midst of all this, I managed to get some research done, visiting Mindroling again to take photos, speaking with a khenpo there on several occasions, and gathering texts for a second project.

Travelers to Lhasa:

If you have friends in Lhasa, Losar is a good occasion to visit. Otherwise, it's a challenging time of year to be here. All the Tibetan restaurants are closed for a full week or two, and the temples and monasteries have much longer lines than usual. You can find small Muslim noodle shops in the alleys near to the Barkhor. High end hotels offer good discounts at this time of year, but their restaurants are closed as well.

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