Coinciding with the lunar new year, Losar is a special event for Tibetans all around the world.
Beginning with a Buddhist prayer from a group of Tibetan monks to ward off obstacles and negativity for the coming year, Losar is then comprised of various Tibetan cultural performances and a feast of traditional Tibetan delicacies.
Traditionally celebrated for 15 days in Tibet, Losar is an elaborate event combining religious, cultural, and socio-economic significance. However, with thousands of Tibetans fleeing Tibet, to settle in different countries across the globe, the ways around Losar celebration has evolved.
In order to adjust to local ways of life outside Tibet, Tibetans in-exile generally celebrate Losar for over a period of three days.
Chemar, an offering of barley flour (Tsampa) on the right and barley seed in the left Source: SBS Tibetan
The first day of the celebration is normally spent at one’s own home with immediate family and the second day is spent visiting relatives and friends. On the third day, Tibetans visit local Buddhist temples and monasteries.
However, this might not be possible for Tibetans settled overseas as they might be working even during Losar.
Nigan Gotsang, the president of Tibetan Community in Sydney spent the first day of Losar at Kingsford airport to receive a small group of newly arrived Tibetan refugees.
“I woke up and did some basic prayer,” he tells SBS Tibetan. “And I had to drive to the airport because some Tibetans were scheduled to arrive that day.
“In the back of my mind, I was thinking it’s the first day of Losar but I was pleased and it felt very fulfilling to welcome the newly arrived Tibetans to Australia on behalf of the community.”
Jamyang Dorjee is the man behind the cultural performances for this year’s Losar event in Sydney. He was born in Tibet but came to Australia almost 10 years ago as a refugee. Ever since, his arrival in Australia, he’s been volunteering at the Tibetan Weekend School on the Northern Beaches as a cultural performance instructor. He teaches Tibetan traditional music and performance to young Tibetans on Saturday afternoons.
He tells SBS Tibetan that he was committed from day one to give back to the community through what he is best at: music and performance.
“I take great joy in introducing Tibetan traditional music and dance to the younger generation because ultimately, they are the ones who’ll have to sustain our culture,” says Dorjee.
“Losar is a time when the whole Tibetan community comes together to celebrate our unique culture in Australia and Tibetan kids get to showcase their performances to a larger audience.”
Dorjee says that his purpose is not to turn the Australia-Tibetan children into professional performers and musicians, but to familiarise them with at least one Tibetan dance or song. Tenzin Dolma, 21, is an example of what Dorjee is trying to achieve.
Tenzin Dolma singing at one of the Tibetan community events Source: Tibetan Community NSW (Supplied)
Dolma came to Australia as a seven-year-old and went on to attend Dorjee’s weekend classes as she grew up in Dee Why. Today, she is one of the most talented dancers in the community and is always a go-to performer at various community events. Dolma says that her mum has been a huge influence in getting her interested in music and dance early on.
“Dancing has always been my favourite hobby,” says Dolma.
Asked about the main difference between Losar celebrations in Tibet and Australia, Dorjee says that he couldn’t go out to show off his traditional Tibetan dress this year, but that the variety of food in Australia is amazing.
“In Tibet we have plenty of quality meat and butter but scarce vegetation," he says. "Here in Australia, fresh fruits and vegetable are readily available during Losar.”
The local federal member for Mackellar Jason Falinski joined the celebration as one of the main guests of this year’s Losar event and addressed the gathering.
Momo (Tibetan dumplings) ready to cook Source: SBS Tibetan
The member for Mackellar told SBS Tibetan that like Sydney’s Northern Beaches Tibetans- who are the most numerous resettled Tibetans in Australia - his father too came to Australia as a refugee.
Falinski assured the newly arrived Tibetan refugees that “Australia is a fantastic place to live,” and “an extremely fair society.”
“You get as much as you give,” said the MP. “What you put in, is what you get out.”
