Losoong and Namsoong: Sikkim's harvest new year and the Kagyed cham

Kagyed is the public, visible half of the festival. On the 28th and 29th days of the tenth Tibetan month masked monks dance in monastery courtyards, acting out episodes from the life of Padmasambhava (Guru Ugyen, also called Guru Rinpoche). The dances are serious in intent, and jesters come on between them for comic relief. At the end effigies of the demon king and the ills of the passing year are burnt, clearing the way for the new one.

At the Tsuklakhang, the royal chapel in the palace grounds in Gangtok, the cham is danced by monks of Pemayangtse. Kagyed also closes a ritual cycle that begins in September with Pang Lhabsol, the festival in honour of Mount Khangchendzonga.

Losoong is the festival of the harvest's end, and its rites are adapted from Losar, the Tibetan new year. The celebration begins when the priest offers chi-fut, a special alcohol, to the gods. After that it moves into homes and villages: for days families host friends and relatives, and villages hold archery contests. The Lepcha keep the same days as Namsoong, their own new year.

This half of the festival is much more domestic than the cham. There is no single public venue; what a visitor sees is the town on holiday, offices closed, and archery matches where they are held.

The cham is free at every monastery. Gangtok is the practical base for the first two.

• Watch from the edges of the courtyard. The front belongs to monks and elders.
• Never cross the dance ground while the cham is on, not even to reach a better spot.
• It is a religious rite, not a show. Treat the courtyard as you would a temple.
• Dress for the cold. December nights in Sikkim are cold, and the cham is watched standing or sitting outdoors.

1. Arrive two days before Losoong to catch Kagyed. Two nights cover Kagyed and Losoong; four give you the first day of the cham and the archery after.
2. Book about six weeks ahead: rooms in Gangtok, and trains to New Jalpaiguri or flights to Bagdogra. December is a popular month in Sikkim, even though the festival itself does not fill the town.
3. Check the dates in autumn. The Sikkim government fixes the days in its holiday notification, usually published in October or November of the year before. In some years the holidays run into early January.
4. Allow for weather. Some higher roads can close in snow in December; Phodong and Ralang need a full day each.
5. For foreign nationals: Sikkim requires a Restricted Area Permit (RAP). Where and how to apply (an Indian mission abroad, an FRRO in India, an online form) and any fee are set by the authorities and change; check the Sikkim Tourism and Bureau of Immigration pages well before the trip.