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Nepal is not only popular for the Himalayas and adventure holidays but also for its distinct religious and cultural practices. More than 100 ethnic communities, dialects, cultural groups, religions, and different cultural practices of people make Nepal one of the best destinations for cultural and religious trekking tours. Over sixty different festivals are celebrated in Nepal every year. All festivals have different features and ways of celebration. Some have fixed dates and others are set by astrologers following the lunar calendar. The great surprise about the festivals of Nepal are they are celebrated with the same enthusiasm as it used to be centuries ago. Among these festivals, Tiji also known as Tenji is the most popular Tibetan Buddhist festival celebrated at Lo Mantang in the Upper Mustang region of Nepal. The landscape is one of the eroded high-altitude desert, interspersed with fertile river valleys and culturally Tibetan villages.
Our Festival Trip - 2017
Tiji is a fascinating annual three-day festival consisting of Tibetan rituals that celebrate the myth of a son who had to save the Mustang kingdom from destruction. The festival is indigenous to Lo-Mantang, Upper Mustang. "Tiji" the name is an abbreviation of the word "Tempa Chirim" which means "Prayer for Peace". This festival commemorates the victory of Buddha's incarnation over a demon Man Tam Ru, a vicious creature feeding on human beings and causing storms and droughts.
Our Festival Trip - 2018
Our Festival Trip - 2019
The festival lasts for 3 days, monks perform ritual dances during the celebration. The harassment of Ma Tam Ru Ta (in a dance called "Tsa Chham" on the first day), the birth of Dorje Juno as the demon's son (on the second day called "Nga Chham") and the attempt to return the demon to Buddha's realm (on the third and final day “Rha Chham) are enacted during the performances.
Monk Dance in Festival
The dances are all organized by the Choedhe Monastery, Lo Mantang of the Buddhist Sakya sect. About 65 monks from Lo Mantang, Nhenyul and Chhosyer reside in this monastery. The festival is the commemoration of victory of good over evil through the medium of mask dance and performance of different scenes related to the myth which describes the story of a deity named Dorje Juno and his evil father. Dorje Juno had to battle against his father to save the kingdom of Mustang from destruction. His evil father- Ma Tam Ruta- tried to cause disaster in this barren land. He fought with his demon father and chased him away to establish peace and prosperity in the kingdom. This ritual is known as “chasing of the demons”. During the festival people gather in Lo Manthang from all over Mustang. The word “Tiji” comes from “ten che” meaning the hope of Buddha Dharma prevailing in all the world and abbreviated form of “Tempa Chhirim” which means prayer for world peace.. It is believed that the villagers would be purified of the evil spirits at this time.
Himalaya Trekking Team Support the Children at Mustang
Michel Peissel, a French explorer and anthropologist was the first European to witness Tiji, by pure chance, on his arrival in Mustang. We have every year fixed departure for this famous Tiji Festival Trek Now Booking Open for - 2023
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