What is the Mani Rimdu Festival?
Nepal is a land of an extensive number of festivals that embrace different religions, cultures, and customs followed by its people. There is no doubt that, regardless of what background we come from, these festivals are a part of our heritage and something we will cherish forever. In a group of some distinct celebrations, the Mani Rimdu Festival is a high-spirited Tibetan Buddhist festival celebrated by the Sherpa communities in the Everest Region of Nepal.
The name Mani Rimdu translates as “Mani,” meaning mantra (religious chant), and “Rimdu,” meaning sacred pill or blessing in the Tibetan language. The festival begins with the
installation of a colourful mandala made by the respected monks of the Tengboche Monastery in Khumbu, observed for 3 days during the 9th month of the Tibetan Lunar calendar. The date varies every year; however, for this year, the Mani rimdu Festival is expected to fall around October 17-19, 2025.
History and significance of Mani Rimdu
If we go back in time and turn pages of the festival's origin around the late 19th or early 20th century, Mani Rimdu was introduced by a renowned Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, Lama Ngawang Tenzin Norbu. The rituals of Mani rimdu are based on Nyingma Buddhist formalities and were passed down through Buddhist practitioners to celebrate the victory of compassion and wisdom over ignorance. This practice is followed by offering blessings to devotees for peace and good fortune, and holds a greater spiritual significance to the Buddhist religion.
What happens during the Mani Rimdu Festival?
One of the first ceremonial acts in the Mani Rimdu Festival is the creation of the mandala. It is a sacred sand art drafted by the monks, later painted with symbolic colours and figures. Although Mani Rimdu is a 19-day-long festival, the last three days are for public celebration. All 3 days of the festival are different from one another, with specific ceremonial rituals.
Wong: Public Empowerment Ceremony
Wong is the first public event of the festival that denotes the spiritual opening of the sacred celebration for the general public. The Mani rimdu blessing ceremony is led by the head Lama following tantric empowerment chantings to bless the devotees with spiritual energies. The head Lama of the monastery chants Buddhist mantras and reads the Buddhist texts, with other monks performing the rituals. Local villagers and passing by trekkers are allowed to attend the Buddhist empowerment ceremony to receive blessings and observe the performances.
Chham: Mask Dance Ritual
Chham is the most visually appealing part of the Mani Rimdu festival. This celebratory lap is performed with sacred masks worn by the monks of Tengboche monastery to enact the triumph of good over evil. The chham dance ritual is a symbolic representation of the deities and demons, where the deities represent wisdom, compassion, and protection, while the demons represent ego, anger, and obstacles to enlightenment. The atmosphere of Chham is made spectacular by the presence of traditional Buddhist folk music, instruments like drums, horns, and cymbals played by the monks.
Ser-keym: Offering to Deities
Ser-keym in the Mani Rimdu festival is a lesser-known ceremony but holds great symbolic importance. In the Tibetan language, “Ser” means gold, and “Kyem” means drink together. Ser-Kyem refers to offering sacred libations to the guardian spirits. The devotees offer alcohol or tea in a golden chalice while chanting Tantra-Mantras to invite blessings and protection. A fun fact, the idea of the ceremony is to offer what a man owns the best and to receive spiritual abundance in return.
Fire Puja: Cleansing ceremony
The Fire Puja in Mani Rimdu, also known as Jinsak, marks the final day of the festivity. It is an outdoor ceremony performed under the open sky. The notion behind this puja is to burn away any evil spirit, negative karma, and mental desecration over the year. During the puja, the monks chant mantras and offer tormas ( a special dough) to the fire. It is believed that the smoke carries away the evil spirit or bad energy.
Where is the Mani Rimdu Festival Celebrated?
The Mani Rimdu festival is celebrated in the monasteries of the Everest region, which includes the famous Thame Monastery in Namche Bazaar and the Chiwong Monastery. Mani Rimdu is a vibrant and elaborate celebration showcasing the collaboration of the Sherpa community and their homage to the Buddhist culture. Usually, trekkers to the Everest Base Camp visit during this time to relish this distinct Himalayan tradition and seek blessings from the divine.
