Namsoong

Winter in Sikkim is fine and fair. The Lepchas in the beautiful Himalayan state make it their best occasion to celebrate the Namsoong festival. The seven day long annual event of the ethnic tribe coincides with the Sonam Lossong festival of the Bhutias marking the beginning of the new Lepcha calendar month.

The festival, precisely, commemorate their historical victory of truth over the evils. Spotlight falls North Sikkim where people throng in thousands at Namprikodam to attend the seven day long celebrations at the Tarkot tam Aitma. Apart from the domestic and foreign tourists, other ethic tribes in Sikkim also attend the festival for refreshment and merriment in the form of traditional sports and games. These include Dhuko Thuck where stones are thrown. This is apart from thahut, jumping game and a popular archery competition which they call chongay. The striking feature of the festival is the traditional cham dance where the participating people dress up as divinities to welcome the new year driving away the evil forces. Other dances are performed at the monasteries. 

Local wine Chaana is dominating item in the festival venue and the foreign tourists, mostly, can not but take a sip. Community feast is yet another inevitable part of the week long festival in the haven for the tourists.