This excerpt is taken from the book “A Man of the Frontier : S. W. Laden La, His Life and Times in Darjeeling and Tibet by Nicholas and Deki Rhodes”.
“Tibetan New Year (Losar) was a particularly important period for the Tibetan and Sikkimese Bhutia communities in Darjeeling. For several days before, the house would be spring cleaned, extra food prepared and stored, and the family prayer room would be adorned with offerings and Derkas, the piles of Khabses. On ‘nyi-shu-gu’ (the 29th day of the last month of the old year), two days before Losar, the lamas would come and send out the loo, the evil spirit of the old year, amid much hilarity. On New Year’s day itself local children would go round the houses of all the members of the community from about 3 a.m. offering barley and beer (chang) and wishing Tashi Delek (Happy New Year) to all. In return they would receive gifts of money. At about 8 a.m. family members would assemble in the prayer room, offer scarves to each other and the younger family members would be blessed by the elders. Prayers would be said before a ceremonial breakfast of sweet rice with raisins and Tibetan tea. Afterwards, relatives would arrive for an extended and convivial lunch. On following days, other families would keep open house, so the whole week consisted of feasting and festivities. On some prescribed auspicious days, the fourth or fifth day of the New Year, the local Sikkimese Bhutia and Tibetan families would have picnics on Observatory Hill (Khangtse). New prayer flags would be erected, and large picnic tents pitched in the early morning. Huge cooking pots were taken up to prepare the feast for the day. The Derkas were set up on traditional low tables. The families would then come up, dressed in their finery, and settle in their traditional areas. After lunch, the Khamba families, in particular, would entertain everyone with dancing displays, the men dressed in their dashing short khos, with long sleeves and splendid swords. Some of the men would relax playing dice games, such as Sho. Others would be singing and dancing, and everyone would enjoy themselves until evening. Many prayers would be said, and towards the end of the day, everybody would circle around the holy shrine three times, and then line and throw flour into air towards the shrine with the cry Lha Gyalo (Glory to God). Mendicant dancers would come, and perform religious dances with simple masks and costumes. On another day religious dances, the Ashi Lhamo, would be staged”.
The amazon link to the book : https://www.amazon.in/Man-Frontier-Laden-1876-1936-Darjeeling/dp/8190186752/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PEM1PW0FKVSQ&keywords=s+w+laden+la&qid=1676472509&sprefix=s+w+laden+%2Caps%2C805&sr=8-1
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