Highlights
- Participate and observe the Mani Rimdu Festival at Thyangboche Monastery.
- Hike up to Kalapathar
- Observe breathtaking vistas of Mt. Everest, Cho-Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu, etc.
- Explore Sherpa culture and hospitality.
You will have to trek to Everest region to participate in the unique Mani Rimdu Festival in Thyangboche Monastery. Aside from the Festival, you will also be trekking to Kalapathar (5643m), which offers a fantastic panorama of Everest, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Nuptse, Thamserku etc.
To attend the one-of-a-kind Mani Rimdu Festival at Thyangboche Monastery, you must trek to the Everest region. Aside from the festival, you will also trek to Kalapathar (5643m), which provides unparalleled views of Everest, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Nuptse, Thamserku, and other peaks.
Mani Rimdu Festival is the biggest festival celebrated by the Sherpa community in the Everest region. Every year the festival takes place at the famous Thyangboche Monastery in Thyangboche in Khumbu Valley. The festival is a celebration of the initiation of Buddhism in Tibet by Guru Rimpoche. The celebration lasts five days and features rigorous 24-hour puja ceremonies, however, it will only be open to the public for three days.
The first few days, monks devote time to drawing a large mandala on the premises of Thyangboche Monastery. The mandala is formed with colored sand stones and consists of multilayer layers of ornamentation, each conveying a symbolic and spiritual connotation of Buddhist doctrine. Mandalas are made to invoke the God of Compassion, who will eventually radiate throughout the world, ensuring long life, peace, and prosperity. On the day of Wong, which falls on a full moon day, Buddhist devotees from all over the Everest region congregate at the monastery to get blessings from Mani Rilwu and Tshereel for long life and prosperity. The following day the festival becomes entertaining when monks perform ritualistic mask dances or cham resembling various Buddhist deities. On the ensuing days, pujas are performed to the God of Fire and Mandala wishing to ward off evil from the world.
The festival dates vary from year to year, but it is normally held in October or November.
