Buddha Purnima:
Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Buddha, is celebrated in April/May. Referred as the Saga Dasa in Sikkimese and Vishakha Puja in the Theravada tradition, it is the most important of all the Buddhist festivals. Fa-Hien, the famous Chinese traveller who visited India in the fifth century, recorded the celebration of this festival. The main centres of its celebration are Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh and Bodh Gaya in Bihar. The rituals of this day include prayers, sermons on the life of Gautama Buddha, continuous recitation of Buddhist scriptures, meditation by monks and devotees and worship of the Buddha as well as the Bodhi tree. The rituals connected with this festival are different among various sects of Buddhists in India.
The Mahayana Buddhists organise a procession of monks with gyalings and rabdungs and read Kangyur texts. The Theravada Buddhists offer ceremonial prayers to the idols of Buddha.
Losar:
Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is celebrated in February or March according to the Tibetan lunar calendar. In Sikkim, it is known as Namsoong. The main festivities usually last for three days, although the celebration can extend for up to 15 days.
An important ritual of Losar is called Meto, which involves burning juniper branches to purify the home and attract good fortune. Another ritual, Mesol, involves visiting cemeteries to honour ancestors and offer prayers. Losar is a time for family gatherings, feasts, traditional dances, and other cultural events.
Tsechu Festival:
The Tsechu Festival is held in many monasteries of the Indian subcontinent to commemorate the birth of Padmasambhava. In Sikkim it is observed for three days from the 10th day of the Buddhist month of Dawa Napha (May-June), while in Ladakh it is celebrated from the tenth day of the month of Dawa Dhunpha (July-August). The festival symbolises the strength of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and virtue over vice. Some also consider this festival as mark of the victory of ‘Lamaism’ over ‘Shamanism’.