Mani Rimdu – A Sherpa Festival

Mani Rimdu, a 19-day series of sacred ceremonies concluding in a public festival lasting for three days is a point of attraction for tourists all over the world. As the feast falls in autumn, the best season to trek in the pristine mountains and Himalayas of Nepal, one can enjoy and experience Mani Rimdu along with his/her trek package in Nepal. Mani Rimdu is an opportunity for Sherpas and Tibetans to assemble and celebrate together with the Lamas, monks and monasteries.

Mani Rimdu is celebrated after full moon of October, November, and December in Tengboche, Chiwong and Thame monasteries. Mani Rimdu in Nepal is not a too ancient festival. It is a recent development and started only when Zatul Ngawang Tenzin Norbu of Rongbuk came to sanctify the monastery of Tengboche. It was the first time that monks performed the dance here. It then became an annual ritual, but was moved forward by a month to avoid the cold and dull weather. Although, the original practice of Mani Rimdu was small, addition of the dances originated from tantras made it elaborated and stretched to go many days.

Phakpa Chenrezig, the god of compassion is worshipped during Mani Rimdu and prayers are chanted that is believed to benefit everyone. The Phakpa Chenrezig’s blessings are believed to bring peace and good fortune to all people. One of the rituals invokes the blessings of the god of compassion on the rilbu, the long-life pills in Chiwong Monastery. The elaborate and very meaningful dance performance attracts a large crowd during Mani Rimdu.

After the sanctification of monastery by Tulshig Rimpoche, perform the special mask dance at the place. The amazing masked dance drama played for three full days is the main show up of the feast. The masked dance performed while the feast is not just for fun but tells a story. The dance symbolizes the restoration of the set up of Buddhism in Tibet and depicts the victory of Buddhism over the ancient ‘Bon’ religion and symbolizes individual awakening.

Once on every December, Tulshig Rimpoche, a reincarnated lama, comes down to the to solemnize the Mani Rimdu festival. Besides, Tulshig Rimpoche is also regarded as the god. Thus, people come to the place to take blessing from him and in return he blesses them by touching them with the bottom of a silver cylinder, which encloses prayers inside. When he comes up to the place, monks and novices start playing a variety of instruments in his honor. Furthermore, this kind of playing of instruments also signifies the spreading of principles of Lord Buddha or Dharma.

It is believed that, in the past, during the festival, people sacrificed the animals but Buddhism strictly prohibits sacrificing the animals. But the problem was resolved when dough or torma was used as a substitute in place of sacrificing the animal. The torma is prepared by layman when the lama goes into the courtyard.
The performance by monks of the renowned “Mask Dances” during Mani Rimdu, is a spectacular and memorable event. This starts with a monk, playing master of ceremonies, dramatically pushing the audience back to clear an area around the courtyard of the gompa (Buddhist temple) for the dancers. Heralds and incense bearers appear in the gompa entrance and slowly walk down the steps in single file, followed by musicians, some blowing bugles and clarions, while others beat drums and clash cymbals. Clapping and cheering by spectators are considered unnecessary and inappropriate, so the audience watches in silence.
The first dance begins with eight dancers in vibrant costumes sweeping down into the courtyard. They move in clockwise circles around the altar making offerings of food and drink to the Buddhist gods. The following event during the Mani Rimdu Festival is a depiction by masked dancers of the Buddhist faith being protected against demon attack by the Four Protecting Kings.
The shrieking of horns and loud drumming precedes the much anticipated dance of Padmasambhaya, who is considered to be a second Buddha in Tibet. At last, Padmasambhaya slowly emerges from the gompa. In his right hand he holds a vajra (thunderbolt of the gods), while in his left hand he wields a sacred dagger to be used in fighting off the demons. This dance is symbolic of the defeat of the evil spirits of the Bon religion by Buddhism. The Dance of the Celestial Drums, which follows, is a celebration of this victory.

The remaining dances of the day depict various aspects of life, many with a humorous twist to them. As the Mani Rimdu day draws to a close, rolls of parchment with ritual prayers written on them are burnt, to the accompaniment of chanted prayers. Everyone can rest, assured that goodness and peace will reign once more – all evil demons have been banished.
The Fire-Puja, performed especially by lamas is also the main attraction of the feast. Mandala is drawn from sand on a small pedestal. At the time, Guru Tulshig Rimpoche will be crowned by a crown adorned by images of Lord Buddha. Additionally, he is also dressed as a Bodhisattwa, who achieves the rank of being ‘desireless’. After a kind of pyre is made over the mandala and lit, monks’ starts circumambulating it. At the time, offerings are also thrown into the fire. The ritual ends when the viewers take the handful of sand and ash from what is residue on the mandala, which is believed to protect their house and fields.

Spectators of the Mani Rimdu will experience a special blessing ceremony given by the Trulshig Rinpoche, the highly venerated reincarnated lama. The teacher’s name means “Precious Destroyer of Illusion”, which is derived from the title of Rinpoche, which means “Precious One”, together with “trul”, meaning “illusion”, and “shig”, meaning “kill” in Tibetan.