Tiji Festival Trek

Tiji Festival is an annual event and a famous festival at Lo-Manthang of Upper Mustang, Nepal. This festival is celebrated for three days in the Mustang district of Nepal. This festival falls at the end of May according to the local calendar.

Tiji is the name of an abbreviated word of Tempa Chhirim which means “Pray for World Peace”.  Tiji Festival celebrated in the Lo Manthang by Tibetan Buddhist people is a colorful festival of the Upper Mustang.

According to the legend, a deity named Dorjo Jono battled against his father to protect the kingdom of Mustang from devastation. His father was a devil who brought fear amongst the people by bringing scarcity of water in such a desolate region.

Dorjo Jono, hence banged his demon father and dispersed him away from Mustang. Honoring this legend, the festival is celebrated to bring peace and prosperity in the region.

There are several reason that attracts traveler to visit Nepal from around the world. Among others, annually celebrated Tiji Festival is a major reason thousands of traveler visit Nepal every year.

Colorful Tiji Festival is celebrated in Upper Mustang (Lo Manthang) an isolated ancient Kingdom beyond the Himalaya bordering with Tibetan side of China.

This legendary Tibetan Buddhist festival has been successfully preserve by the locals even in this fast changing modern era. Tiji Festival is celebrated three days every year in the beginning of harvesting season.

History of Tiji Festival

The festival started over 300 years ago as a celebration of the victory of good over evil. The festival traces the folk history of Dorje Jono and Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche, directly linked to Tibetan Buddhism. Dorje Jono (Vajrakila) is a popular deity in Vajrayana Buddhism.

Tiji is a fascinating annual three-day festival consisting of Tibetan rituals that celebrate the myth of a son who had to save the Mustang kingdom from destruction.

The Tiji festival usually takes place around mid May and lasts for 3 days. The monks of Lo Manthang’s “Choedhe” monastery perform ritual dances during the celebration.

The Tiji festival dances are all organized by the Choedhe Monastery, which belongs to the Sakya sect of Buddhism. The monastery is headed by a Rimpoche. About 65 monks from Lo Manthang, Nhenyul and Chhosyer reside in this monastery.

How is the festival celebrated?

In the event of Tiji festival, the main dancer, Tsowa completes a three month of retreat before the main event of the festival. During the main event, the members of Mustang royal family and all the villagers of the seven provinces of Upper Mustang/Lo Chhodun participates to witness this sacred dance, which is done along with many other rituals.

Tiji Festival
Mustang Tiji Festival Celebration

According to the Mustang (Lobo) dialect, it is Tiji or Tenchi, which is the part of the meditation practice based on the Tantra text related to Vajrakumar /Vajrakila. However, the original name of this sacred dance is Tenpa Chirim, which means the benefits of Buddha’s teaching and all sentient beings. It is also believed that the performers of this dance receive empowerment of Vajrakila.

Tiji Festival Date 2024:

The Tiji festival will be celebrated on the English dates of 5th, 6th, and 7th May of 2024 in the Upper Mustang.

Tiji Festival Available Trips for 2024

1. Tiji Festival Trek – 20 Days
2. Tiji Festival Jeep Tour – 12 Days


On the whole, Tiji Festival is a perfect opportunity to observe the great festivity that represents the social norms and rites of the Himalayan region of Nepal. So come along and be a part of this grand festivity through our Mustang Tiji Festival Trek.

Upper Mustang is a restricted area, and solo trekking is prohibited, so you need to go with a group with a licensed guide. Hence, the assistance of an experienced guide makes the trek safer. The trail is also clear, so there are no chances of getting lost on the way. Furthermore, the locals are warm and welcoming.