Oppertunity to Explore the Himalayan culture in Nepal 2008

[Lahure]

Dear Travellers,

We are going to do a Tiji Festival Explore trek in Upper Mustan during this April May. The fix departure dates from Kathmandu is 24th April and you need to be in Kathmandu on 22nd April. The trek will last till 13th May. Here is some information of Mustang and festival.
"Mustang is one of the few places in the Himalayan region that has been able to retain its traditional Tibetan culture unmolested… authentic Tibetan culture now survives only in exile and a few places like Mustang, which have had long historical and cultural ties with Tibet." -The Dalai Lama
The small kingdom of Mustang, closed to westerners until 1992, is an enchanting land of windswept vistas, red walled monasteries, and feudal towns. This tiny kingdom was not only a major corridor of trade from the 1400's to before the Chinese occupation of Tibet, but also figured importantly into early Buddhism in Tibet. Local legend tells the tale of the great founder of Tibetan Buddhism, Padmasambhava, who before building Samye (the oldest monastery in Tibet) came to Mustang to stand guard against and do battle with the evil powers out to destroy Buddhism. The temple of Lo Gekhar in eastern Mustang was built by Padmasambhava after his triumphant battle and still stands guard today.
Our route will take us across the vast Kali Gandaki riverbed, up over windswept passes at 14,000 ft. and across the 'Plain of Aspirations' to the walled capital city of Lo Manthang. All this through a landscape of indescribable vastness and beauty, home to the infamous snow leopard, the endangered bharal (blue sheep), and the mythical mehti (abominable snowman). Rimmed by 20,000+ snowcapped peaks and bathed in hues of orange and red rocks with sporadic fields of vibrant green, yellow and red of barley, maize, and buckwheat, Mustang is a step back to a simpler time. This is a special trip with many extra days to explore the rarely visited East Side of Mustang and the annual Tiji festival, one of the last great Himalayan festivals not inundated by westerners.

THE TIJI FESTIVAL
In the midst of a festival in which over a thousand men, women and children were taking part. The women looked superb in hand woven sleeveless Chubas (a bath-robe style dress made of thick wool) over bright, loose silk blouses. Around their waste bands were tucked two aprons, a short one that hung down in front, the other caught in the belt and hanging down behind to the ground. These were gaily striped in bright, narrow bands of blue, red, green and yellow. Many women were literally smothered with ornaments of silver and precious stones…necklaces of bright orange corralline stones alternating with turquoises…ivory-white bracelets made of truncated conch shell (and)..head-dresses…studded with turquoises along the central parting of their hair and fell down their backs.
The Tiji festival is a three-day ritual known as "The chasing of the Demons" that centers on the Tiji myth. The myth tells of a deity named Dorje Jono who must battle against his demon father to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The demon father wreaked havoc on Mustang by bringing a shortage of water (a highly precious resource in this very dry land) and causing many resulting disasters from famine to animal loss. Dorje Jono eventually beats the demon and banishes him from the land. Tiji is a celebration and reaffirmation of this myth and throughout the festival the various scenes of the myth will be enacted. It is of course timed to coincide with the end of the dry winter/spring season and will usher in the wetter monsoon season (the growing season for Mustang). Tiji comes from the word "ten che" meaing ‘the hope of Buddha Dharma prevailing in all worlds’ and is effectively a spring renewal festival.
If you are interested on this trek then please feel free to mail us in peakende@wlink.com.np or norbu@trektohimalayas.com
Don't miss it because it held once in a year and it is right time to do this trek and we will do our best to make it wonderful and explain as much as we can.

[jenilo]

I heard all about this on Traveling show. really took my heart away.