Lepcha · North Sikkim
Namsoong at Namprikdang
Dec–Jan, the Lepcha new year (lunar, dates set each year)
Photo: Suniel Pradhan · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Namsoong is the Lepcha new year and harvest festival. Since 1979 its best-known public celebration has been held at Namprikdang, a riverside ground on the Teesta at the edge of Dzongu, with prayers, archery, traditional games, Lepcha food and dances.
Namsoong falls at the turn of the Lepcha year, in December or early January, at the same season as the Bhutia Losoong, and the state holiday is usually listed as Losoong/Namsoong. For Lepcha families it marks the end of the harvest and a time to honour local deities, mountains and rivers. The public festival at Namprikdang, near Mangan where the road crosses into Dzongu, has been organised since 1979, according to the Ministry of Tourism's Utsav festival listing.
A Namsoong day at Namprikdang usually opens with rituals and prayers for the coming year, then moves to competitions in traditional skills, archery being the favourite, along with games, music and folk dances in Lepcha dress. Food stalls sell Lepcha dishes, and chi, the fermented millet drink, is served in bamboo vessels. The Lepcha cultural bodies of Dzongu run the event, and outsiders are welcome as guests.
Namprikdang is a short drive from Mangan, so many visitors come for the day. Permit checks for festival day visitors have varied, so ask us; to sleep in a Dzongu homestay that week you need the usual Dzongu permit. Dates are fixed by the Lepcha calendar and announced locally, so check current status before you travel.
If you go
Tips for the day
- Book a Dzongu homestay well ahead for Namsoong week, as Lepcha families host relatives too.
- Ask before photographing rituals and elders, and do not step into the ritual area.
- Carry cash in small notes for food stalls; card machines are rare at Namprikdang.
Questions travellers ask
Questions about Namsoong at Namprikdang
When is Namsoong celebrated in 2026?
Namsoong follows the Lepcha calendar and usually falls in late December, close to the Bhutia Losoong, with celebrations running into early January. The Sikkim government announces the Losoong/Namsoong holiday each year, and the Namprikdang organisers announce their programme a few weeks ahead. Check current status before you travel, and ask us for the confirmed dates.
Where is Namprikdang?
Namprikdang is a riverside ground at a Teesta confluence in Dzongu, a short drive from Mangan, the Mangan district headquarters. Mangan is about 67 km and 2.5–3 hours from Gangtok. The ground lies at a low altitude, below 1,000 m, so December days are mild, though mornings are cool.
Is Namsoong the same as Losoong?
They fall in the same season and share the idea of a harvest new year, which is why Sikkim lists the holiday as Losoong/Namsoong. Losoong is the Bhutia festival, marked with monastery masked dances at Phodong and Rumtek beforehand. Namsoong is the Lepcha celebration, with Lepcha rituals, archery, games and food, centred at Namprikdang in Dzongu.
Can tourists join the Namsoong festival?
Yes, visitors are welcome to watch and to eat at the stalls, and many Lepcha families are happy to explain what is happening. Dress modestly, follow the instructions of organisers, and ask before photographing people. If you want to stay inside Dzongu that week, you need a Dzongu permit and an early homestay booking.
Go for it
Where it happens and how to get there
valley
Dzongu1,200M
Dzongu
The Lepcha reserve across the Teesta from Mangan
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