Losar Shona Chuksam is a native dance belonging to the Kinnaura community of the Kinnaur District in Himachal Pradesh. The word ‘losar’ means ‘new year’, indicating the period when it is performed. The traditional New Year of the Kinnaura community falls during the months of April and May.
The Losar Shona Chuksam dance contains a series of slow movements depicting the sowing and reaping of ‘ogla’ (barley) and ‘phapar’ (a local grain). The soft knee dips is the striking feature of this dance. No songs or dialogues are uttered during the entire performance. The music is provided by traditional instruments like the big ‘dhol’ (drum), ‘bugjal’ (bronze cymbals), ‘karnal’ (long windpipe) and the ‘ransingha’ (a curved trumpet).
