“Tiji” festival is an exclusive ritual performed in the Upper Mustang, indigenous to Lo-manthang. The festival is held for three days to commemorate the victory of Lord Buddha’s incarnation, “Dorje Sonnu” over a demon called “Man Tam Ru”. Man Tam Ru is said to be a vicious creature feeding on human beings and causing drought and storms to affect people’s lives. The word Tiji, also commonly referred as “Tenji” is the abbreviated form of “Tempa Chhirim” which means “Prayers for World’s Peace”.
On the first day of Tiji, monks of “Choedhe” monastery of Lo-manthang perform ritual dance where they enact the harassment of Ma Tam Ru. The dance on the first day is called “Tsa Chham”. On second day, the myth of the birth of Dorjee Sonnu, son of the devil is depicted by another dance performance named “Nga Chham”. The story telling with beatings of drums and chanting of prayers captures the visitors fully to the world of battle in between good and evil. The festival is ended on the 3rd day where these monks put up a show of Dorjee Sonnu returning to the realm of Buddha. The entire festival is an enchanting demonstration of religion, culture, faith, peace and courage.
The festival is not just observed as a religious ceremony but is significantly important for providing hopes and strength to the people of Lo. The story of a deity and his demon father is a marvel for the tourists and heritage for the ones believing in spiritual prerogatives. The ritual is said to have continues since the 15th century and has marked the victory of Good over Evil.
