Namprikdang Namsoong Festival gets underway

MANGAN,  (IPR): The 49th edition of Namprikdang Namsoong Festival started today at Namprikdang Dzongu.

Organised by Namprikdang Namsoong Celebration Committee (NNCC) under the theme “Ancestral Rhythm”, the festival will run for five days from December 27 to 31, celebrating cultural heritage, unity, and resilience through rituals, folk dances, traditional games, and prayers for prosperity and good fortune.

Tourism department chairman Sonam Norgay Lachungpa attended the inaugural day as the chief guest.Also present were Horticulture chairperson Ongkit Lepcha, zilla and gram panchayat members, Mangan SP LB Chettri, OSD Ugen Lepcha, government officials and public.

Sonam Norgay Lachungpa, in his address, commended the NNCC for the successful inauguration of the 49th edition of the celebration. He stated that culture and traditions form the root of one’s identity, and that the Namprikdang Namsoong celebration has successfully preserved and carried forward ancestral heritage through the years.

Lachungpa extended his gratitude towards Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang for guiding and encouraging all communities of Sikkim in the preservation of their traditions.He stated that Dzongu has always attracted tourists and will continue to be a haven for rural tourism.

The first day of the festival witnessed Lepcha folk dance competition and tug of war competition.

The five-day celebration will feature a wide range of activities, including a Lepcha folk dance competition, tug of war, archery tournament, log relay, paddy husking, Lepcha indigenous fashion show, the first-ever rock-climbing competition, bamboo weaving, hair braiding, stone put, pumpkin smashing, water filling, and other traditional activities. The festivities will also be enlivened by performances from various music bands and artists.

In addition, the celebration will host several exhibition stalls showcasing diverse displays and products.

The 49th edition of Namprikdang Namsoong Festival also focuses on discovering the various historical and culturally significant sites close by the Namprikdang, such as Brong Kyong and Unghrumhot springs and waterfalls at Lingdem, Lepcha cane bridge Ru-Soam at Hee-Gyathang and other attractions.