Mani Rimdu is the most popular festival in the high Himalayas, especially in the Khumbu region. To observe the Mani Rimdu Festival and celebrate with local Sherpas, we at Nepal Mother House designed the Mani Rimdu Festival Trek for you. Sometimes people also call it the Tengboche Monastery Trek due to the main destination being Tengboche. It is celebrated every year at Tengboche Monastery, Thame Monastery, and Chiwong Monasteries in Solukhumbu. Normally, the Mani Rimdu festival is celebrated from October to November at Tengboche, just south of Mt. Everest. The head of monks fixes the festival date based on the Sherpa lunar calendar. It is a Buddhist sacred ceremony in a monastic environment that consists of nineteen days of events with empowerment, meditation, and dance. The public celebration lasts for three days before the concluding ceremony.
Legendary Mani Rimdu is an honorary celebration of the great saint Guru Rinpoche (Guru Padmasambhava), who established Buddhism in Tibet. The monks' performance is a unique spectacle, featuring mask-dancing and colorful costumes. Only special monks, with permission from the head monks, perform the dance during the Mani Rimdu festival. You cannot perform it on other ordinary days or occasions. The monks who are dancing first take vows from Trulshig Rinpoche (the head monk) for the ceremony of empowerment. The master of ceremonies explains, "Seeing Mani Rimdu is like receiving a blessing." During the ceremony, the dance is the real performance of a goddess rather than entertainment, so it is a sacred celebration. This is a story about the defeat of demons by the goddess, who protects beneficial people from evil.
Especially, the Tengboche Mame Rimdu festival lasts for three days. The monks wear special customs and elaborate masks through a series of ritualistic dances and play the trumpet, kangling (made from human thigh bone), conch, and drum. The main first day of the Mani Rimdu festival is prayer day; the second day involves colorful Lama dancing in brocade gowns and wonderfully painted masks. On the last day, there is a performance of humorous dances and chanting prayers. Then the master of ceremonies (headlamp) offers Wang (blessing/empowerment) to the public.
Mani Rimdu is a great opportunity to rejoice in the ceremony of Sherpa and the Tibetan community. They get to gather at the monastery with traditional dress and ornaments joyfully. Many local people and foreign tourists attend this performance. The Tengboche Mame Rimdu festival triprewards you with seeing the real and unique culture of the Sherpa people and the picturesque Himalayan scenery. This trip is best for 6 days or more combined with the Mt. Everest Base Camp Trip, Everest Chola Pass Trek, or Gokyo Lakes Trek.
When is the Tengboche Mani Rimdu festival for the year 2025/2026?
The head of the Lama at Tyangboche Gumba fixes the festival date of the Mani Rimdu according to the Tibetan lunar calendar. The ceremony is performed in the 9th month of the Tibetan calendar, which usually falls on the full moon of October or November. This year, the Mame Rimdu festival at Tengboche will be on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of November 2024.
According to previous history, the Manerimdu Festival is scheduled for November 8-9. The 8th is the day of the full moon, and the festival goes on for three days after the moon. As this is a religious ritual, only the head of the monastery, the Lama, has the right to decide the exact date. Once the monastery at Tengboche declares the festival, we will update the actual date. Join Nepal Mother House to celebrate the Mame Rimdu Festival Trek. Hurry up to secure your trip with us.
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