July 19, 2026 08:18 am (IST)
Follow us:
Kolkata gets a chance to celebrate the Lepcha New Year
Kolkata, Dec 14 (IBNS): Kolkata got a chance to witness the New Year rituals of the Lepcha tribe from the Himalayan region of West Bengal at a colourful event organised at the Jorasanko Thakurbari.
Artists from Kalimpong presented a slew of music and dance performancesmarking the Lepcha New Year.
Prof. Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, Vice Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University and Chairman of West Bengal State Akademi of Dance Drama Music and Visual Arts inaugurated the celebrations.
"We are keen to highlight the different cultures prevalent in various parts of West Bengal, which is why we have taken this initiative," said Prof. Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury.
N.T Lepcha, Executive Member of the Cultural Cell, WBLLDB said, "We make idols to bid farewell to the previous year on the last day of the year. The following day, we celebrate the onset of the newyear when the eldest member in the family applies ‘tika’ (a paste made of sandalwood) to the foreheads of all family members."
"We mark the beginning of the new year by organizing ‘pickshut’, a traditional ceremony where fruits and vegetables are kept in a traditional sieve called, ‘nanglo’," said N.T Lepcha.
The Lepcha New Year celebrations continue for seven days and commemorate the triumph of the Lepchas over the devil, Laaso Mung Pono according to the Lepcha Folklore.
(Reporting by Meghna Dunbar)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Meraki 2.0: iLEAD Kolkata celebrates art of photography
Wed, Aug 20 2025
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts commemorates Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in Kolkata
Thu, Aug 14 2025
Snapchat hosts first Creator Connect event in Kolkata
Wed, Jul 02 2025
Rituparna Sengupta, Indraneil Sengupta, Alokananda Roy talk on forest land depletion and urban wildlife encounters
Tue, Apr 01 2025
Kolkata's first-ever Comic Con to be held on Feb 22-23
Sat, Feb 15 2025