Nepali-speaking communities of Sikkim · Pakyong and the Silk Route
Maghe Sankranti on the Teesta
Mid-January, 1 Magh in the Nepali calendar (usually 14 or 15 January)
Photo: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maghe Sankranti marks the first day of the Nepali month of Magh and the turn from the coldest weeks towards spring. Families bathe at river confluences, eat sweet til laddoos, yam and ghee, and visit elders. Rangpo, where the Rangpo river meets the Teesta, is the district's natural river town for it.
Maghe Sankranti falls on the first day of Magh in the Vikram Samvat calendar, usually 14 or 15 January, and is one of the main festivals of Sikkim's Nepali-speaking communities. It marks the end of the month of Poush and the start of longer days. The custom is to bathe in a river, ideally at a confluence, then share winter foods that warm the body: sesame and molasses sweets, boiled yam and sweet potato, ghee and chaku.
Rangpo sits where the Rangpo river joins the Teesta, at a spot called Rangpo Doban, and the town's riverbanks draw families on festival mornings. Upstream, Rorathang lies at the meeting of the Rangpo with the Reshi and Pachey streams. In Sikkim the best-known Maghe fair is the large mela at Jorethang in Namchi district; in Pakyong district the day is mostly about family, food and the river.
Mid-January is a fine time to travel in the low valleys: Rangpo at about 330 m is mild and dry while Zuluk and Nathang above may be under snow. Ask us if you would like to combine a festival morning at Rangpo with a trip up to Aritar. Local melas and their dates vary each year, so check current status before you travel.
If you go
Tips for the day
- Try til laddoo, chaku and boiled tarul (yam) from home kitchens or small sweet shops.
- Never swim at a confluence; the Teesta's currents are strong even in winter. Watch from the bank.
- If you want a big fair, add a day for the Jorethang Maghe Mela in Namchi district.
Questions travellers ask
Questions about Maghe Sankranti on the Teesta
When is Maghe Sankranti?
Maghe Sankranti falls on the first day of the Nepali month of Magh, which is usually 14 or 15 January. It is a public holiday in Sikkim. Families celebrate on the day itself, and some river-bank fairs in the state run for several days around it. Check the exact date for the year, and check current status before you travel.
What is eaten at Maghe Sankranti?
Winter foods believed to warm the body: til laddoo made with sesame and molasses, chaku (hard molasses toffee), boiled yam and sweet potato, ghee and khichdi. Families share these with relatives and visit elders for blessings. Small shops in Rangpo and Rorathang stock til sweets in the days before the festival.
Is there a Maghe Mela at Rangpo?
Families gather by the Teesta at Rangpo and at river meeting points such as Rorathang, but the largest Maghe fair in Sikkim is the Jorethang Maghe Mela in Namchi district. Local fairs in Pakyong district vary from year to year, so we check before your trip. Ask us, and check current status before you travel.
Is January a good month to visit Pakyong district?
Yes, for the low and middle valleys: Rangpo, Rorathang, Pakyong, Rhenock and Aritar are dry and clear, with cool mornings. The upper Silk Route at Zuluk and Nathang may have snow and road closures, which is beautiful but unpredictable, so keep spare days. Check current status before you travel.
Go for it
Where it happens and how to get there
town
Rangpo333M
Rangpo
Gateway town where the Teesta meets the Rangpo
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