तीजी फेस्टिवल इन लोमंग्थंग, उप्पर मुस्तंग

Mustang the last Forbidden Kingdom in Nepal - Mustang trek is an exceptional, extended trek in a remote and wholly unique corner of Nepal - a great cultural trek of the Himalaya and totally safe!

The Tiji Festival ( Festival in the Forbidden Kingdom, Mustang Lo- Manthang)
Portions of the following account of the Tiji Festival are excerpted from: East of Lo Manthang: In the land of Mustang. Peter Matthiessen and Thomas Laird, Shambhala Press, Boston, 1995. and Mustang, a Lost Tibetan Kingdom. Michel Peissel, Book Faith India, Delhi, India, 1967.

"We found ourselves in the midst of a festival in which over a thousand men, women and children were taking part. Before us spread a sea of weather-beaten brown faces that contrasted with those of the beaming, dirty little children who clung like grapes upon the rooftops of the houses" " The women… looked superb in hand-woven sleeveless Chubas (a bath-robe style dress made of thick wool) over bright, loose silk blouses. Around their wastbands were tucked two aprons, a short one that hung down in front, the other caught in the belt and hanging down behind to the ground. These were gaily striped in bright, narrow bands of blue, red, green and yellow. Many women were literally smothered with ornaments of silver and precious stones…necklaces of bright orange corralline stones alternating with turquoises…ivory-white bracelets made of truncated conch shell (and). head-dresses…studded with turquoises. ran along the central parting of their hair and fell down their backs." Michel Peissel

Michel Peissel was the first westerner to witness the Tiji festival in 1964 during a visit to Mustang by special permission of the Government of Nepal. He was also only the third westerner to ever visit Mustang. He arrived in Lo Manthang in time to witness only the last day of the festival and later wrote: "The scenes I witnessed were so extraordinary and so unexpected that I dared not believe my eyes and even today I have some trouble in believing in the reality of what I saw that day."

The Tiji festival is a three-day ritual known as "The chasing of the Demons" that centers on the Tiji myth. The myth tells of a deity named Dorje Jono who must battle against his demon father to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The demon father wreaked havoc on Mustang by bringing a shortage of water (a highly precious resource in this very dry land) and causing many resulting disasters from famine to animal loss. Dorje Jono eventually beats the demon and banishes him from the land. Tiji is a celebration and reaffirmation of this myth and throughout the festival the various scenes of the myth will be enacted. It is of course timed to coincide with the end of the dry winter / spring season and will usher in the wetter monsoon season (the growing season for Mustang). Tiji comes from the word "ten che" meaning the hope of Buddha Dharma prevailing in all worlds and is effectively a spring renewal festival.

For 2008, the Mustang Tiji festival date are May 2, 3, 4

Itinerary of Tiji Festival Trek.

Day 1: Arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA), you will be met by our Airport Representative, and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel. B.B.

Day 2: Full day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu valley (Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath, Swayambhu, and Kathmandu durbar square) and receive the official permit from Immigration. Overnight at hotel. B.B.

Day 3: Drive or fly to Pokhara. On arrival you will transfer to Hotel for your overnight stay. During day time you can do a sight seeing to Davisfall, Mahadev Cave, Tibetain Refugee Camp or boating in Fewa Lake. Overnight at Hotel. B.B

Day 4: Pokhara fly to Jomsom 2720m and trek to Kagbeni2810m.
Fly to Jomsom, the district headquarters of Mustang and short trek up to Kagbeni. You will explore the town of Kagbeni with visiting Red house Monastery, the starting point of the "Upper Mustang".. Overnight at Camp. B.L.D.

Day 5: Kagbeni trek to Chhuksang 2980m and hike around with visiting some monastery. Overnight at Camp. B.L.D

Day 6: Chhuksang trek via crossing Dajori la pass 3736m to Samar 3660m. Overnight at Camp. B.L.D

Day 8: Samar trek via Charate or Rangchyung Cave of Guru Padmasambhav and Shyangboche la 3850m to Gheling 3570m. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 9: Gheling trek via crossing Nyi la 4010m and to Ghami then continue to Drakmar 3820m. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 10: Drakmar trek via crossing Mui La 4170m and to Lo Gheker then continue to Tsarang 3570m. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 11: Tsarang trek to Lo Manthang and rest 3800m. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 12: First day of Tiji Festival in Lo Manthang. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.
Early in the afternoon, horns resounded — the short horn or kagyling, which announces the two twelve-foot copper dunchens, with their elephantine blartings, followed by two double-reeded horns, all accompanied by drum and cymbals. Next, an ancient and enormous tanka three stories high was unrolled down the entire south wall of the square. The tanka portrayed Padma Sambhava (or "Guru Rimpoche") who brought this ceremony to Tibet in the 8th century. At mid-afternoon, in high wind and blowing dust, eleven lamas in maroon and gold, wearing high red hats, came from the palace and took their places along the wall beneath the tanka, with Tashi Tenzing on the elevated seat just in the center. As the monks and lamas commence chanting, twelve more monks come from the palace in maroon and royal blue and glittering gold brocade, with cymbal-shaped hats decked with upright peacock plumes. Soon they withdraw, to be replaced by the masked dancers who" start the portrayal of the Tiji myth. "Dorje Jono repels the demon through the power of his magical dancing — he dances fifty-two separate dances, one of them in ten different bodies, each with a different head. As the dances end, Dorje Jono kills the demon, after which his people are relieved of their plague of misfortunes, water becomes plentiful once more, and the balance and harmony of existence are restored.Camp at Lo Manthang.

Day 13: Second day of Tiji Festival in Lo Manthang. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.
For the second day of Tiji, numbers of Loba have arrived from the outlying hamlets, and the small square is thronged with wild beautiful people, with all of the women and children, at least, in traditional dress.The King of Mustang, " wears a whole crown of tiny river pearls set off by dozens of large red coralline tones interspersed with matched ornaments of turquoise. Fortunately, all lost in the horde of undefended merry faces. The costumes and masks, the twelve-foot horns, the gold cups of wheat, the butter cakes, the snow peaks and wind and dust and sun, the mehti, snow leopard, snow pigeons, saligrams, the dying glacier and the desert ruins, the drunks and rajas and foreigners, the dogs and yaks. Tantra! Camp at Lo Manthang.

Day 14: Third day of Tiji Festival in Lo Manthang. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.
On the third day, Tiji ends with the ceremonial destruction of the evil remains, represented by some long black yak hair and red torma cakes minced to a dark red gurry. The demons red remnants are set out on an old tiger skin, where-upon they are attacked by bow and arrow, slings, and the old guns. The poor devils remains are over- turned upon the ground, each time to a wild cannonade from the old muzzle-loaders and a wave of cheers and smoke. Tiji is over, and next day the people will go home to their own villages.

Day15: Day trip with horse to Upper part of Lomanthang such as Nyphu, Garphu, Namdrul, Tingkar and Namgyal Gompa (The richest Gompa in Upper Mustang) and return to Lo Manthang. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 16: Lo Manthang trek down to Tsarang 3560m and explore the valley with visit Old Buddhist Library of Lo Manthang and Monastry the trip will continue after lunch to Ghami. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 17: Ghami trek via crossing Nyi la 4010m to Gheling trek down to Samar 3050m via crossing Shyangmochen 3800m and same route. Camp at Cheile. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 18: Samar trek down to Chhuksang and continue to Kagbeni. Overnight at camp. B.L.D.

Day 19: Kagbeni trek back to Jomson and short hike to Thini Village. Overnight Guest House. B.L.D.

Day 20: Jomsom fly to Pokhara and free time for walk around or continue fly to Kathmandu which can make 1 day shorter from this trek. Overnight at Hotel. B.B.

Day 21: Pokhar fly or drive to Kathmandu. Overnight Hotel. BB.

Day 22: Leisure day in Kathmandu. Overnight Hotel. BB.

Day 23: Transfer to Airport for your home departure. Farewell !!

Note: B.B> Bed and Breakfast, B.L.D> Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Note: For this trek it require minimum 2 person in a group.

The above prices are includes:
- Airport pick up and drop by car / Van / Bus.
- Accommodation with breakfast at deluxe hotel in Kathmandu and Pokhara as per above program.
- Kathmandu City Tours as per above program, inclusive of tour guide, car / van.
- 1 Sirdar, necessary Sherpa, Cook, Kitchen Boy and helpers.
- Full board Camping with 3 times meals a day and Hot drinks cooked in our private kitchen, 2 men tent, Foam mattress, Dining tent, kitchen tent, toilets tent, tables, chairs & All necessary kitchen utensils and camping equipment.
- All necessary porters, their equipment & sleeping tent and Insurance or donkey.
- All the ground transportation from Kathmandu to Pokhara and to starting point and back to Kathmandu.
- 13 days Upper Mustang Special Permit US$ 910 per person and T.R.C fees.
- Government taxes and Insurance for Nepalese staff.
- Welcome and farewell dinner.
- Domestic flight from Pokhara/Jomsom/Pokhara and all the tax in domestic Air.

The above prices are excludes:
- Lunch and dinner while in Kathmandu - allow US$ 15 - US$ 20 per day.
- Travel insurance
- International air fare to and from Nepal.
- Nepal entry visa fee US$ 30 (duration 60 days from date of issue)- you may easily issue the visa upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport - Kathmandu.
- Departure Airport Tax in Nepal - approx. US$ 24.
- Items of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry and telephone calls.
- Personal Trekking Equipments for detail please Click here, High risk medical insurance and Emergency rescue evacuation if needed and flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu.
Tips for trekking staffs.
Entry fees of Temples and other sites while sightseeing around Kathmandu.