Culture · Rangpo
Maghe Sankranti on the Rangpo riverbank
On the first day of Magh, families gather at river confluences to bathe and share winter foods. Rangpo's riverbanks are one of the places where it happens in Pakyong district.
Photo: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wikipedia describes Maghe Sankranti as a Nepali festival observed on the first day of Magh in the Vikram Sambat calendar, marking the end of the winter solstice period. In Sikkim it is a major festival for Nepali-speaking communities and is usually 14 or 15 January.
The custom is to bathe in a river, ideally at a confluence, and then share foods such as sesame and molasses sweets, boiled yam and sweet potato and ghee. Rangpo sits at the meeting of the Rangpo and the Teesta, which makes the riverbanks a natural place.
Visit as a guest: keep a respectful distance, ask before photographing people, especially bathers, and do not enter water yourself unless invited. Check current status and dates before you travel.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
When is Maghe Sankranti?
Usually 14 or 15 January, on the first day of Magh in the Nepali calendar. The exact date can vary by a day. Check current status before you travel.
Can visitors take part?
As guests, quietly. Do not bathe or join rituals unless invited. Ask before photographing.
Is it safe near the river?
River levels are low in January, but banks are slippery and crowds are heavy. Keep children close and stay on firm ground.
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