Fairs and Festivals

Chosker - Monpa Festival

In this religious festival of Monpas, the Lamas (Buddhist priests) read religious scriptures in the Gompa (Buddhist temple) for a number of days. Thereafter the villagers carry the religious books on their back in a procession under the guidance of senior Lama. The procession goes round the cultivated fields which fall within the jurisdiction of the village. The significance of this performance is to ensure better cultivation and protect the grains from the insects and wild animals and also for the prosperity of the villagers. Normally this festival is performed during the months of April-May, after the Jhum fields are prepared. The ritual involves the suspension of all outside activities for a definite period.