By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 30: The Gurung community on Thursday is marking ‘Tamu Lhosar’ as their New Year by organising various programmes across the country, including Kathmandu. 
The Gurungs mark Tamu Lhosar as their New Year on Poush 15 every year. In the Gurung language,’Lho’ stands for class and ‘Sar’ for change.
The government has also announced a public holiday across the country on the occasion of the festival.

Issuing a statement Wednesday evening, the Home Ministry said that a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday itself decided to give a public holiday in all government and public offices across the country on the occasion of Tamu Lhosar on Thursday.
The Gurungs divide their year into 12 cycles and each cycle is represented by 12 different animals -- Garuda (eagle), serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog, deer, mouse, cow, tiger and cat -- which they call “lho.” During each Lhosar, they bid farewell to the existing ‘lho’ and welcome a new one.

From Thursday, the Gurungs’ year will enter into tiger cycle from cow cycle.
The Gurungs in Kathmandu will organise several programmes, with a special programme at Tundikhel, to mark their annual festival on Thursday.
Tamu Lhosar main organising committee has organised sport competition, folk duet competition and dance competition. It will hold a cultural rally which passes through New Road, Ratnapark and Bhadrakali before ending at Tundikhel.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to grace the special programme on Thursday.
Different programmes will also be organised in the major Gurung settlements of Lamjung, Gorkha, Tanahun, Syangja, Manang, Kaski and Parbat districts of the Gandaki Province.  
They celebrate the festival with much fanfare by extending greetings to each another and feasting on traditional cuisines.

Stalls at the Tundikhel will display the special Gurung foods like pork, duck and chicken.
Men and women of all age groups attired in traditional Gurung dress and ornaments will participate in the cultural event at Tundikhel.