Mani Rimdu Festival is one of the significant festivals observed by the Buddhist community in the Tengboche Monastery in the Everest region of Nepal. Mani Rimdu festival is a divine ceremony which is celebrated for a period of 19 days to mark the events of empowerment. This festival is marked as per the Tibetan Lunar calendar and generally falls during the full moon of October or November.
The authentic festival is actually divided into many parts that include prayers in the beginning days followed the dancing of the lamas and the chanting of prayers eventually. The monks give a dance performance clad in colorful and vibrant costumes and distinct masks. The prayers are done in an attempt to give blessings to the Mandala, Mani Rilwu or the sacred pills, Tshereel or pills for longer life and Torma (offerings made of flour and butter).
Mani Rimdu festival is observed to mark the dawn of Buddhism by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) in Tibet. There are six ways in preparation of the Mani Rimdu festival:
Construction of the sand Mandala:
Colorful sand is used in order to construct beautiful symbolic designs with the bowl of Mani Rilwu pills centered and the deities symbolizing the defensive blade placed all around the Mandala. The Mandala is an embodiment of the palace of the Garwang Thoze Chenpo (Lord of the Dance) also an epithet of the Buddha of Kindness. Monks believe the kindness flows through the form of mantra “Om Ah Hung Rhi, Om Mani Padme Humg” during the medidation into the Mandala and the Mani Rilwu pills and blesses the attendees of the festival.
The Empowerment (Wong)
The empowerment or the Wong is performed on the full moon day during the tenth month as per the Tibetan Lunar calendar and is also the opening day of the public ceremony. On this day, the blessings in the form of Mani Rilwu and Tshereel, sacred pills and pills for a longer life respectively are given to everyone who attends the festival.
The Dances (Chham)
The dances or the Cham is the second day event of the festival. These dances are very sacred and divine and performed only during the Mani Rimdu festival. The monks are believed to being celestial beings during the dance where the positive forces drive and fight away the negative ones and the figurative fiends are eventually chased away or conquered or even turned into Dharma Protectors.
Ser-Kyem
A part of the Mani Rimdu festival, Ser-Kyem is often used to offer tea to the Dharma guards. Usually, there are two pieces; one large raised dish-shaped bowl and another small raised offering bowl. When the tea is offered, the smaller one is positioned upright in the larger bowl and positioned upside down when no offering is made.
The Fire Puja (Jinsak)
In order to alleviate the harm and suffering from the world, an offering is made to the God of Fire and the God of Mandala. This basically is known as The Fire Puja or Jinsak which is carried out in the yard following the dances. The harm and suffering thus is marked with the flames of the butter burning and the grain dissolving in the fire. Later, the sand from the previously built Mandala is offered to the Nagas or the serpent gods.
Chhingpa
Another dance followed is the Chhingpa that resembles the Four Protecting Ghings that shield the Buddhist faiths and beliefs against any negative forces. With every beat and tune of the cymbals, the dancers perform a rhythmical dance with their papers concealed with flashing paper masks. As contrary to the Chhingpa dance, the tender dance of Dakini is performed with in slow motions along with the soft rhythms of the bells and drums. This has female dancers without any sort of masks and resemble the partners of the Padmasambhava or the spiritual female figures. It is often believed that they come from the Shangdok Palri, the chaste land wherein they reside within the Mandala and are the bearer of the news of the Guru Rinpoche arriving at the Mani Rimdu festival.
The festival of Mani Rimdu set and celebrated in the higher altitude of Tengboche monastery with the gigantically beautiful snowcapped mountains in the backdrop express the teachings of the Buddhist philosophy in the form of dance. This festival gives the people of the region a reason to escape from their daily lives to come together and jointly celebrate this festival. This festival trekking is just the right opportunity to let the travelers discover the gem that Nepal is culturally and naturally.
Trip Highlights
- Adventurous trekking into the Everest and Khumbu region.
- A lifetime experience to be part of a distinct tradition of the people of the Everest region with the majestic views of Himalayan ranges including Everest, Lhotse, Thamserku and Nuptse among many others.
- An ideal package for travel enthusiasts who look forward to get a glimpse of the Himalayan culture of Nepal.
- Sightseeing Kathmandu.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Day
Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, our representative will be there at the airport for your assistance. The rest of the day we leave it for you to relax and get over the jetlag. Saunter around the streets of Kathmandu for some fresh air.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla and then trek to Phakding
Today, we take an early morning flight to Lukla after breakfast. About 45 minutes of a scenic flight amongst the high mountain peaks and we land at the Tenzing Hillary airport in Lukla, our start point of the Everest-Kala Patthar trek. About an hour of steady descent through the village of Lukla, we reach the Cheplung village from where the view of Mount Khumbila (a sacred and never climbed mountain) standing at a height of 18900 ft is spectacular. Follow the trails and gradually descent for another three to four hours to reach Phakding via Tharo Khosi and Ghar along the route.
Overnight at Phakding.
Day 3: Phakding to Namchhe Bazaar
As we leave Phakding village behind, we walk along the beautiful forest of pine trees with the Dudh Koshi River flowing along following the up north trails to the valley of Benkar. Captivating view of Mount Thamserku and walking across the Dudh Koshi River via the suspension bridge will lead you to the checkpoint of Chumoa to Monjo, the entry to Sagarmatha Park. Follow the trails across the small forests crossing over the bridges until you come to the convergent point of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi Rivers. Continue descending and ascending trails to Namche Bazaar for about four hours via Chautari and Jorsale village.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 4: Namchhe Bazaar/Acclimatization Day
We take a halt to our further journey so as to get acclimatized towards the higher altitude for the remaining of our trekking. Explore Namchhe Bazaar, the focal center of the Khumbu region with all the modern amenities at your convenience. On this day, you can visit the monastery that is 30 minutes away from Namchhe Bazaar. Or you can hike uphill for two hours to Syangboche and to the Hotel Everest View from where you can relish on the magnificence of the mountain peaks including Everest, Ama Dablam and Lhotse among others. Also, you can hike to the beautiful village of Khumjung (3780m) inhabited by the Sherpa community observing their traditional way of life.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 5: Namchhe Bazaar to Tengboche
Leaving Namchhe Bazaar behind and continuing our journey today takes us through the combined trails of leveled paths and some ups and downs. Descend towards Dudh Koshi River along the trails that take you through the blooming forests of the rhododendron accompanied by occasional Himalayan Thar, musk deer, leopards and pheasants with the captivating view of Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, Mount Ama Dablam and Mount Thamserku. Continue the trails to Sansa through the thick pine forest and then after you cross a suspension bridge decorated with multicolor prayer flags, you reach Phunki Tenga from where you climb uphill once along the pine forest reaching Tengboche in a shortwhile.
Overnight at Tengboche.
Day 6, 7 and 8: Observe Mani Rimdu Festival at Tengboche Monastery
Be a part of the Mani Rimdu festival of the people of the Everest region. Interconnect with the local community and experience their distinct way of life.
Day 9: Tengboche to Namchhe Bazaar
Being a part of the Mani Rimdu festival will provide you an insight into the archetypical festival imprinting good memories for a lifetime. Afterwards, we retrace our trails descending back through the rhododendron forests crossing over the Dudh Koshi river at Phunki Tenga. From there, follow the trails outlined high towards the valley to Sansa from where the path is divided towards Namchhe and Khumjung. Follow the trails to Namchhe Bazaar, your stop for the night.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 10: Namchhe Bazaar to Lukla
We are almost at the end of our trip, and today our trails will be mostly be flat and leveled with a combination of small ups and downs. Leaving behind the beautiful bazaar of Namchhe, we take the descending trail through the rocky landscape until we come across the Dudh Koshi River and its tributaries from where our trekking trail becomes more level and easy. Continue walking the trails through the rhododendron and pine forests across the traditional Sherpa villages which eventually will lead you to Chheplung from where it is a 45 minutes of uphill walk to reach Lukla.
Overnight at Lukla.
Day 11: Lukla to Kathmandu
Usually, the flights are scheduled for the mornings as the afternoons can be very windy due to which there is a high chance of the flight getting delayed or canceled due to bad weather conditions. Once again, 45 minutes of a scenic flight amongst the high mountain peaks before you take off at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu from where you will be escorted back to your hotel by our representatives. Explore the day sightseeing and exploring the capital city. Visit the pilgrimage sites of Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Swyambhunath and explore Kathmandu Durbar Square in the evening.
Overnight at Kathmandu.
Day 12: Sightseeing and city touring Kathmandu
Today, we visit some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu valley including the holy temple of Pashupatinath, the Buddhist monasteries of Boudhanath and Swyambhunath. Also, explore around the beautiful city of Patan and Patan Durbar Square which has richly preserved the cultural heritages of the ancient Nepal in the form of arts and architectures. Visit and explore Kathmandu Durbar Square and its periphery. The Hanuman Dhoka, Bhairav Mandir and Kumari Ghar are some of the prominent features here in Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Overnight at Kathmandu.
Day 13: Departure Day
Today, we take an early morning road drive to the oldest Newari city of Bhaktapur and explore Bhaktapur Durbar Square, another world heritage site. This is one of the cleanest cities of Nepal and has many significant landmarks making this a center of attraction for a lot of people from all around the world. Ju:Ju Dhau or the local yogurt is another specialty that you should not miss to taste while here in Bhaktapur. Afterward, drive back to the hotel for your final checkout from where we bid you final goodbye.