Preparations are complete for the Biswa Sherpa Sammelan, or World Sherpa Conference, a three-day gathering of Sherpa groups from around the world. It will be held from October 8 to 10, 2026, in Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal, India.
Representatives from 25 countries are expected to attend.
The World Sherpa Association is organizing the event. The All India Buddhist Sherpa Association is helping with the guest list and fundraising.
What is planned each day
October 8: The opening ceremony will be held at Chaurasta in Darjeeling.
October 9: An international conference on the theme "Sherpas of the Eastern Himalayas" will take place at Sonada in Darjeeling.
October 10: The final day will be held at Lava in Kalimpong. It includes a closed session, the selection of a new working committee and a declaration programme.
General Secretary Ang Jangbu Sherpa said the three-day conference would begin on October 8.
Guests and delegates
The organizers have planned to invite West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari as chief guest. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (PS Golay) is to be invited as guest of honor.
Member groups and Sherpa community associations, known as kyidug, around the world are asked to send in the names of their delegates.
How the plans came together
The association held a virtual meeting on July 25, 2026, chaired by its president, Thendup Sherpa. The meeting set the conference dates, venues and management plans.At the same meeting, the association approved the format for two awards, the Sherpa Rinchen Norbu Award and the Sherpa Great Star Award. It also formed a selection committee.
The committee is led by Thendup Sherpa. Its members are founding president Ang Dorje Lama, senior vice president Nima Sherpa and spokesperson Dorje Pinasa Sherpa. General Secretary Ang Jangbu Sherpa is the member-secretary. The president is to name two more members.
The association also plans to publish its first book on Sherpa culture. It will cover Sherpa surnames, birth, marriage and death rituals, major festivals, worship practices, dress, jewelry and traditional food
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