Up Coming Events
Tiji Festival (May 29,30,31st) 2012
Tiji/Teeji/Teechi festival is a wonderful festival which is takes place in Upper mustang “Land Beyond The Himalaya” Lomanthang . The festival is occurs in three days (May 29, May 30, May 31st 2012).The myth behind the Teeji Festival is a deity lama named Dorje Jono (Dorjee Sonnu) who had battled against his demon father “Tam Ru a vicious creature” to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The demon father created a huge water shortage in this extremely arid land. Doeje Jono eventually defeated demons and banished him from the Mustang land. So Teeji is a celebration of reaffirmation of this myth. Tiji comes from the words “Ten Che” “Tempa Chirim” meaning prayer for ‘world peace and harmony’. And also spring renewal festival in addition triumphs of gods over the evil. Michel Peissel was the first westerner who observed the Tiji festival in 1964; while the mustang region was completely closed off for foreigner. He had taken special permission from Nepal government in order to enter the region. He felt the festival was very impressive and stated “The scenes I witnessed were completely extraordinary and so unexpected that I dared believe my eyes and even today I have some trouble in believing of what I saw that day”.
Shey Dragon Year Festival August 26th to 31st 2012
Gyamgon Rimporche, the main Lama of the ThiwongGyamgon Gompa that is the main gompa of Kakyupa sect, one of the four major sects of Buddhism, once dreamt about the Shey area where he’d never been before and he sent one most brilliant disciple to explore the Shey pilgrimage. TuptupShingeIshe, as per his guru’s order, left Tibet and reached Shey some thousands years back. He first saw Shey from Saikpa Kang of present Bhijer, and he transformed his dark brown lama dress to wings and flew to RibuDrukta (Chrystal Mountain).
By the time he reached Shey, it was full of evils and he transformed himself in hundreds of lions and destroyed all the evils. One day he was in a kora of RibuDrukta on his lion, he felt thirsty and he thought of preparing some tea and he tried to make support from some stones around. But each stone he turned was carved ‘Om’, the holiest word. He regretted being on lion in such a holiest pilgrimageand he made seven koras on his foot and by the time he reached top of RibuDrukta, he saw Mt. Kailash in Tibet as bottom up basket, that’s why RibuDrukta is believed to be younger brother of Mt. Kailash. Still now, if one makes seven koras of RibuDrukta, he can reach the top.TuptupShingeIshe started living in Shey making Komuchegompa (which is still in existence) not returning to Tibet and his fifth reincarnation is living at present. Komoche Gonpa is now known as Shey-Gonpa.
There is twelve-year cycle in Buddhist calendar each year represented by different animal and each year with importance of twelve different pilgrimages, which includes Mt. Kailash in Tibet, SwayambhuNath in Kathmandu, Shey in Dolpo and other in many other places in the world. The Shey is major pilgrimage in Dragon year and the upcoming Dragon year falls in 2012 in Tibetan calendar. The religious belief is that if one makes kora of RibuDrukta in dragon year equals visiting 11 rests of the major pilgrimages. But especially there is great festival for one week from full moon of seventh month in Tibetan Calendar.
During the festival, all the Buddhist followers from the region and beyond gather to the place and perform typical dances, wear traditional and antique dresses and different events like horse riding, archery and lama dances are organized. There is religious preaching by fifth reincarnation of Tuptup singe ishe and other respected high lamas. Great and holy pujas and blessings are also made during the festival.
