Ladakh is celebrating the Losar Festival today to mark the Ladakhi New Year.

Lieutenant Governor Ravinder Gupta extended greetings to the people of Ladakh on the auspicious occasion of Losar, the traditional New Year celebrated with devotion & joy across Ladakh. Mr Gupta wishes Losar usher in peace, prosperity, and harmony for all.

Ladakhi New Year is the major religious festival of Ladakh celebrated in winter for prayer for prosperity, good crops and wealth in the upcoming year from pastoral farming.

Lighting of prayer lamps and illumination of buildings, houses, religious and monuments places like monasteries, stupas and other business establishments is lit in lights on the eve of Losar yesterday.

The Losar festivities continue for nine more days from the new year with offerings of prayers in the name of God and Goddess, performed dances and songs in honour of Ibex and pilgrimage of Mount Kailash.

New year is welcomed with dough Models of Ibex, Sun and Moon and flour painted lucky signs on the walls of the kitchen.

The third day of New Year is celebrated with sightings of the first moon of the year with prayer for bumper crops in the coming year.