February 18, 2026 06:20 pm (IST)
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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)
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