KATHMANDU: The Sherpa community is celebrating Gyalpo Lhosar today, a cultural festival that ushers in the first day of the lunar month of Falgun.

This annual event is marked by a variety of cultural programs and festivities.

This year, the Sherpa community is celebrating the 2152nd Gyalpo Lhosar as the New Year.

The festival is divided into 12 different animal signs: Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon (Cloud), Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Bird, Dog, and Boar.

The celebration spans from the first day of the lunar month of Falgun until the full moon, with grand festivities throughout.

The tradition dates back to the reign of the ninth king of Bhot, Ude Gungyal, when it was first observed as a spring festival.

Tika Sherpa, a researcher, noted that the name Gyalpo Lhosar follows a chronological sequence, with some people pronouncing it as Gyalpo and others as Gyalbo.