Mustang Tiji Festival Tour

The Tiji Festival is the major annual celebration held throughout Lo Manthang, Upper Mustang, which showcases primeval Tibetan Buddhist traditions. This mystic three-day festival, deeply seated in Tibetan myths and legends, showcases the inevitable and great victory of good over evil and is also dedicated to the famed Dorje Jono, a Tibetan deity believed to have defeated a demon or a Rakshasa, bringing chaos and utter destruction to the greater region through the remote Mustang. 

The festival also features colourful masked dances, cultural rituals, and Buddhist ceremonies performed by sacred and revered monks through the venerable and sacred Chhode Monastery. The journey to Tiji is an adventure as travellers pass through the breathtaking landscapes of the great Upper Mustang, passing fine cliffs, deep gorges, and primeval Tibetan-inhabited villages.

The Mustang Tiji Festival Tour is also a rare opportunity to experience the great traditions of the former Kingdom of Lo, explore the age-old monasteries, and immerse yourself through the finest culture the Mustang region has to give and offer. It is an unforgettable journey that mixes spiritual adventure with the finest Himalayan scenes.

The Tiji Festival through the Upper Mustang is a religious three-day celebration deeply rooted in the great Tibetan Buddhist traditions. The principal dancer (Tsowo)  goes on a long three-month retreat before performing the rites and ritual dance, which involves the members of the Mustang royal family and villagers from the seven provinces through the Upper Mustang (Lo Chhodun). 

The festival pronounced Tiji or Tenchi through the local Lobo dialect, is based on the Tantric Vajra Kumar (Vajra Kila) practices, symbolizing the ultimate win of good over evil. The ritual dance consists of the finest significant stages, beginning through the peaceful dance steps, then the subjugation of opposing forces, and concluding with the movements that bring auspiciousness. The symbolic poses and gestures are also different meditative processes, aiming to go through the obstacles and negative energies.

Observing all these sacred steps with faith and reverence is also believed to bring spiritual purification and blessings to the onlookers. Though the Nepalese government has limited foreign participation to preserve the great festival’s integrity and authenticity, Himalayan Trekkers have the excellent opportunity to witness this mesmerizing event all through the mystical land of Mustang. The once-in-a-lifetime experience allows travellers to go through the ancient Buddhist tradition, cultural heritage, and breathtaking landscapes at the tremendous and impressive region of the Upper Mustang.