TIJI FESTIVAL OF A LIFE TIME 
This festival commemorates the victory of Lord Buddhas incarnation -Dorjee Sonnu- over a demon called Man Tam Ru a vicious creature which ate human flesh and caused storms and droughts. The festival usually takes place in May and June and lasts for 3 days. Dances are performed by the lamas of Lo Manthang Choedhe monastery during the celebration. About 65 monks from Lo Manthang, Namgyal and Chhoser live in the monastery. The first day marks the harassment of Man Tam Ru in a dance called Tsa Chham, on the second day a dance called Nga Chham takes place commemorating the birth of Dorjee Sonnu as the demons son. The attempt to return the demon to lord Buddhas realm takes place on the third and final day. The lamas chant prayers while performing almost 50 separate religious dances to chase demons from Lo Manthang. They are followed by masked demons who flail wooden swords at the frightened spectators.On the final day, in a nearby field, courtiers fire ancient muskets as a high lama shoots an arrow at a red demon effigy laid on a ragged tiger skin. He tosses five more demons into the sand to signify the exorcising of the city. Fireworks are also let off to celebrate the occasion.
Significance:
Tiji is one of the most well known and revered festival in Lo. It is a time of Celebration and religious pilgrimage for the people of Lo. The festival. The festival initially begain as a religious ceremony to ward of obstacles and suffering that might befall the country. Later it aslo came to sumbolize the hope and strength of the people of Lo.
A remote place lying in the rain shadow area of the Himalayas, Lo was beset by environmental difficulties,yet its situation along the main salt trade route made it a highly prized location regularly invaded by neighboring states. In effect, the festival is a fervent prayer by the King and Queen of Mustang and the people of Lo for peace and stability, not only in Lo, but all over the world.
The deity Dorje Shunu (Vajrakila) is considered highly effective in subduing all evil forces and thereby removing all obstacles. The people of Lo. Thus believe zealously that Tiji protects them. They attribute their great fortunes to this festival. An additional benefit of Tiji is that it is one of the few annual occasions where representatives of Lo Tso Dun can meet together with the King, thus giving them an opportunity to discuss and solve matters of a more temporal nature. It is believed that simply attending Tiji will bring merit to its observers.
Highlight: A unique insight into ‘Old Tibet’, Medieval, colorful Mustang villages. You will see Tibetan nomads, cave gompas with exquisite murals, fortresses, palaces & cave hermitages, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, incredible sculpted valleys, wild rock formations, classic scenery of the high Tibetan plateau along the Kali Gandaki gorge & fossil collecting in this less-trekked route. Read More
2019 Nepal Festival Calendar including Tiji Festival .
There is also another festival that is termed as festival not to be missed and this one is held at the foot of holy peak Mt. Kailash in Tibet. This year the Saga dawa falls on June 17. Saga Dawa which is the day of Buddha’s enlightenment, nirvana, the monastery at Tarboche, the base of Mt. Kailash in Tibet celebrates this big festival for four days. During these festival you can see the vivid way of Tibetan pilgrims that joins from all over the Tibet and celebrates fire puja, Lama dances, Sand Mandala puja and finally the unrolling of the giant silk thanka. This is the oldest scroll painting in Tibet, dating back 1000 years and measuring approximately 40 x 60 m. Circumnavigating Mt. Kailash during Saga Dawa, one gained a merit of 100 thousand times due to the sacred month of Saga Dawa. Please write to us as we customize itinerary with your time frame and in your budget for Tibet.
If you like more Himalaya Festival – there is Mani Rimdu festival that gives you an opportunity to visit Everest Base camp and observe this festival with great awe, also of Sherpa culture.
Nepal is known for its continuous festivals, the Nepalese are said to observe more festivals than there are days in the year. Hardly a day passes without some festivities, ceremonial, observances or pilgrimages taking place in some part of the country or the other.
