Attend the Spiritual Mani Rimdu Festival at Tengboche Monastery
Yatri Trekking proposes a trek to attend the Mani Rimdu Festival, a three-day celebration held during the full moon of October or November at Tengboche Monastery in the Everest region.
Each year, the monks of Tengboche Monastery the most sacred monastery in the region perform magnificent masked Buddhist dances. Sherpa people, together with cultural enthusiasts from around the world, gather at this revered spiritual site to celebrate Buddhism and explore the rich cultural heritage of the Himalayas.
These sacred masked dances unfold against the breathtaking panoramic backdrop of Mount Everest (8,848 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Nuptse (7,861 m), Ama Dablam (6,812 m), Kongde Ri (6,200 m), and Thamserku (6,608 m), making the Mani Rimdu Festival trek an unforgettable experience of beauty and serenity.
To attend the Mani Rimdu Festival, your trek begins with a 45-minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla Airport, or a 20-minute flight from Manthali to Lukla, followed by a three-day trek toward Everest Base Camp with an acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar, the capital of the Sherpa people and a vibrant commercial hub for locals and trekkers alike. During the acclimatization day, you can visit Khumjung and Khunde, among the largest villages in the Everest region, where you will also have the opportunity to see the famous Yeti scalp preserved inside the local monastery. You will return to Namche in the evening.
From there, you will continue to Tengboche to experience all three days of the Mani Rimdu Festival. Each day offers its own unique moments, from the intensity of the opening blessing ceremony to the splendor of the masked dances and the solemnity of the closing fire ritual.
Witnessing the sacred masked dances performed by the monks of Tengboche Monastery in honor of Buddhist deities is an extraordinary privilege. The festival traces its origins to Rongbuk Monastery on the Tibetan side of Everest, and the Mani Rimdu Festival celebrates the victory of Buddhism over the ancient Bön religion honoring Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), who is credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet.
Depending on your schedule and interests, the Mani Rimdu Festival can be combined with your return itinerary from an Everest Base Camp trek via Namche, Gokyo, and Cho La Pass. It is equally possible to visit Tengboche first and then continue toward Everest Base Camp, or to return directly to Lukla and Kathmandu after the festival. The trek can be fully tailored to your availability and preferences.
Schedule of the Mani Rimdu Festival
The first day of this vibrant festival begins with a public ceremony during which monks from the Tengboche Monastery give blessings to attendees. This is followed by special masked dances accompanied by traditional songs by the locals. The monks also create intricate sand Mandalas symbolizing deities. At the center of each mandala, the bowl of Mani Rimdu is placed. At the end of the day’s ceremony, the monks distribute sacred pills to everyone attending the festival.
On the second day, the monks perform a series of rituals in the monastery. They present a traditional dance called "Cham", wearing brocade gown and colorful masks. The Cham dance is a major attraction for this festival. The performance tells a story in which demons are defeated and positive forces prevail. On this day, monks also perform another ritual dance known as Ser-Kyem.
On the third day, the Fire Puja (Jinsak) takes place in the monastery courtyard. During this ritual, offerings are made to the god of fire, (Agni) to cleanse the world of harm. The sand mandalas are dismantled and their remains are offered to the serpent gods (Naga) at a nearby spring. The Chhingspa masked dance adds a dramatic touch to the final day’s celebration, portraying an attack by demons and the defense of the Buddhist faith by the four Dharma protectors. In the evening, locals gather to sing and dance joyfully, marking the conclusion of the festival.
For this year (2026), here is the schedule of the spiritual Mani Rimdu Festival at Tengboche Monastery, which is located at a magnificent place on the way to the Everest Base Camp:
October 26 — “WONG” (marking the first day of the blessing ceremonies)
October 27 — “CHHAM” (masked dances). This is probably the most interesting day.
October 28 — “JHINSAK” (fire offerings)
Furthermore information contact via E-mail or via WhatsApp https (Iman Gurung, the manager of the program developer) for tailor-made program
