Lhochaar, Lochar, Losar or whatever you wish to call the festival is actually a Buddhist festival. The occasion normally falls between the end of January and mid February of each year in conjunction with the Chinese New Year (although my Tibetan brethren might tend not to agree). It is celebrated not just by Gurungs but by Sherpas, Tibetans and many other tribes as well. The former tend to celebrate it during the first week of the new year more as a social than a religious occasion due to the fact that many years ago, in our villages, folks tend to celebrate the end of the month of Poush when all the crops are gathered and stored and the celebrations begin to mark a period of good harvest.