Precious Nepal All About Nepal What is Tiji Festival and Why this so popular ?
Tenji festival commonly pronounced tiji or Tenchi festival is three days celebration in lo-manthang, a capital of Upper mustang, Nepal -remembrance victory of Sonam Dhorji to Demons and protect villagers life, harvest and live stock .
As per festival sprite there was a demons named ”MA TAM RU TA”, The wax-man eater and who cased storms and droughts to destroy villagers house and livestock . These three days celebrate victory of DHORJI SONAM against Demons and save people’s food, crops and livestock from Demon.
Three days victory mask dance perform by monks from Chhyode Gumba (Monastic School , Lo-manthang) , a unique dance with ancient mask and swords . Three days mask dance shows about enact the harassment of Demon MA TAM TU TA to people, birth of Dhorji Sonam (Buddha incarnation) . It’s also shows Dhorji Sonam’s attempt to return demons to Buddha realm.
According to His highness Dalai Lama “Authentic Tibetan culture survives only in exile in a few places like Mustang, which has had long historical and cultural ties with Tibet.”
How Do They Celebrate Tiji ?
Festivals beings once all villages representative of Upper mustang offer new harvest to DHORJI SONAM , and thanks him to protect there harvest from demon thunder and live stock from demons . The monk from Chhoden monastery starts enact demons and DHORJI SONAM and showsn how he change demon to Buddha realm .
The First Day of Teji Monk dance called “TSA CHHAM” and Second Day called “NGA CHHAM” . Three days festivals starts from offering by seven villages(All village of Upper Mustang) representative offering their harvest to Dhorji Sonam to protect their food from storms . And end the festival , once victory over demons by Dhorji Sonam . All villagers take Demons statue out of village and throw away .
Tenji is one of the important festivals among people from Upper mustang . All villagers are participate festival . Beside this this is also very popular among foreigner , 100s of foreign tourist trek upto lomanthang to attend this ancient festival .
Tiji Festival Dates For 2020 ?
This festival begins on full moon of Tibetan calendar . In 2019 Tiji Festival celebrate 31 May to 02 May 2019.
How to get there ?
Upper mustang is still controlled to travel freely. Only limited people can get travel in this beautiful land each year . Getting upper mustang permit it cost US$500 for 10 days and this can only issued from government registered trekking agencies .
Recommended Trekking agency for Upper Mustang Permit
Eco Holiday Asia – www.ecoholidayasia.com
National Eco Tourism Center – www.nationalecotourism.com
Nepal Tourism Adventure – www.nepaltourismadventure.com
Eco Holidays Nepal www.ecoholidays.com.np
- Read Full list of registered trekking agencies in Nepal .
How to reach Upper Mustang ?
- Fly to Jomsom from Pokhara and Trek to Lo-manthang (13 Days).
- Fly to Jomsom from Pokhara and Pony Ride to Lo-manthang (13 days).
- Fly to Jomsom from Pokhara and 4WD Drive to Lo-manthang (6 days).
You can check sample tour package by visiting this link :
Accommodation in Upper Mustang
You can get few guesthouse/lodge after Kagbeni Village
- Jomsom – A small town and headquarter of Mustang district . Have airport, hospital and well serviced Hotels guesthouse and lodge .
- Kagbeni – A small Tibetan village have many hotels, guest house and small family lodged . (4 Hrs Walking Distance from Jomsom)
- Chhusang Village – Small village on the bank of Kaligandaki River . This village ideal for staying , if you avoid to high in same day , before going up . There are 5 guest house . (5 Hrs Walking Distance from Kagbeni)
- Tsaile (Chaile) village – Small village have only 2 guest house , this place is normally get busy . On this village you can get jeep for Upper mustang. View of Kaligandaki valley is spectacular . (6 Hrs Walking Distance from Kagbeni)
- Samar Village : One of the greenest village on upper mustang have 2 guest house here .(3 Hrs Walking Distance from Chhusang)
- Shengboche Village : This village have 2 Guesthouse . ( 3 Hrs Walking Distance from Chhusang)
- Gheling Village : Have 6 guesthouse / local family run homestay here .
- Ghemi / Lo- Ghemi : This village have 8 guest house and family run homestay .
- Tsarang (Charang) : One of highly populated village on Upper mustang . Here you can get 6 guesthouse / some family run homestay .
