Tiji Festival 2019

 

In 2019, I went on three major journeys to photograph "ordinary people doing extraordinary things".

The first journey was at the end of May.  I returned to Upper Mustang, "The Former Kingdom of Lo", for the third time in three years ostensibly to witness and document a major festival, Tiji Festival" held in Lo Manthang.

The Tiji Festival is one of the two major festivals held in Lo Manthang each year.  It is held typically at the end of May and early June, prior to the start of the rainy season.  The other major festival, which I attended the previous year, is "Yartung Festival, which is held at the end of the rainy season in August.

In the 17th century the King of Mustang invited the Sakya Trizin (Holder of the Sakya Throne) in Samye Monastery in Tibet, the home of Vajrakila sacred dance, to reside at the Chode Monastery in Lo Manthang. The Tibetan culture and tradition is very strong in Mustang.  Today it is said that Upper Mustang is more like Tibet than the post WWII Chinese dominated Tibet of today.

While at the Chode Monastery, the Sakya Trizin performed a special Vajrakila ritual for the well being of all conscious as well as mindful beings such as divinities, humans, animals, tormented spirits, and denizens of hell.  He started a Cham, sacred Vajakila dances, associated with meditation.

Since that time in the 17th century, the Monks of Chode Monastery have been performing the dance and rituals.  Just as the Chams of Bhutan, every intricate movement, gesture, and expression of the dancer is prescribed and holds significant meaning.  In performing the Cham the Monk dancer has meditated to become the deity that he portrays.

The Tiji Festival, "Prayer for world peace", is a very religious Vajrayana Buddhist purification ceremony and ritual that commemorates the legend of a son who defeated his father in order to save the Kingdom of Lo.  The son, a deity named Dorji Jono, fought his demon father who had brought drought which caused famine in the land.

The Tiji Festival, which is held at the end of the dry season and the start of the wet growing season, commerates the victory of good over evil.

The Tiji Festival is a three day event.  In 2019 the first day of the festival was May 31st.  On the morning of the 31st, I attended a puja, a religious ritual, at the Chode Monastery.  I did not take any photographs because photography is not allowed UNLESS you had purchased a special permit just for that event.  If I remember is was something like $100 for two hours.

Unfurling the Thankla

In the afternoon, the ceremony started with a procession of costumed Monks from the monastery to the courtyard south of the Palace Gate and East of the Royal Palace.  I had been informed that the festivities would commence at 1:00 PM.  I arrived early, around 12:00 PM in order to not miss anything.  The area for spectators was already rapidly filling with people - locals as well as tourists.  I found a good location and sat on the cobble stone paving to await the start. 1:00 PM came and went.  I spoke with some people and they informed me that the ritual would start around 2:00 PM.  2:00 PM came and went.  I spoke with a monk that I know in Lo Manthang and he informed me that the start would be at 3:00 PM.  3:00 PM came and went.  However, at 3:30 PM the festivities actually started.  The wait and confusion is fairly typical for events in Upper Mustang.  Waiting is not all that unpleasant when you are surrounded by such beautiful scenery, ancient buildings, interesting local residents, and perhaps just as important - protecting your vantage point from the ever increasing number of spectators.

A Grandfather Escorts His Grandson

Monks Arriving at the Festival Site

Monk Performing Cham

 

The second afternoon, was highlighted by unfurling the ancient Thangka.  The ancient tapestry is said to be 400 years old.  It depicts the image of the Padmasambhava also known as Guru Rinpoche.  Guru Rinpoche was an 8th century Buddhist master.  He constructed the first monastery in Tibet.  He he is widely worshiped as the second Buddha by devotees of Tibetan Buddhism, typically found in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and the mountainous areas of India.

Devotees of Tibetan Buddhism believe that viewing the sacred dances and the thangka brings them peace as well as prosperity.  The chams performed during the Tiji Festival cleanses Lo Manthang and surrounding area of evil spirits.

Unfurling the ancient thangka of Guru Rinpoche

The afternoon of the second day of the Tiji Festival, is filled with sacred dances, Chams.  The Chams performed on that day are more energetic and lively than the ones performed the previous afternoon.

Local women pay their respects to Guru Rinpoche

Lamas play cymbals and blow radong (long horn)

 

Monks Performing Durdag Cham - Lord of the Cremation Ground Dance

Lord of the Cremation Ground Dance

Young Monk Performs  Cham

On the third day of the festival, June 2, involved more sacred cham performances at the festival site.  At approximately, 5:00 PM there was a procession lead by the Lamas from the festival site through the streets of Lo Manthang to a field outside of the village.

Inside of Lo Manthang, Lamas beat drums and chant

At the edge of town, the man who many people recognize as the King stopped and lit the musket held by his bodyguard.  The matchlock musket erupted in a thunderous clap and filled the air with copious clouds of white smoke along with fragments of paper.  The firing of the musket is to banish evil from the town.

The "King's" Bodyguard Holds and Ancient Musket that the "King" Has Just Fired.

Once the procession had cleared the village of Lo Manthang, the ritual was concluded in an open field with the snow capped Himalaya mountains as a backdrop.  Several times, the ancient matchlock muskets were fired to signify the destruction and defeat of Dorjee Jono's evil father for the benefit of Lo Manthang and the Lowa people.  Firing of the muskets also banished any current demons from the region.

Outside of Lo Manthang, a man loads his ancient musket

Men Prepare Musket to be fired

Ramming the Charge

I am glad that I attended the Tiji Festival.  It was a interesting and unique experience.  

Would I return to the Tiji Festival?

Having "been there and done that", I can honestly say that I would not return to the Tiji Festival.

The ritual and ceremony met all my expectations.  The photo opportunities met my needs.

The local people were friendly and very photogenic.  It was a pleasure to see some friends once again and to make some new friends.

However, I did not completely enjoy my visit like during the previous two journeys to Lo Manthang.

The problem on this visit were the other foreign visitors.  There were not necessarily a great number of foreign visitors but I estimate that there were approximately 200 foreigners.  For a "town" of 500 residents, the amount of visitors made a big impact.

Two hundred visitors in the confined space of the Royal Palace Courtyard along with the local people attending THEIR festival was difficult.

I can tolerate the number of visitors.  I can even live, but grudgingly, with some of them wearing bright yellow or red jackets - who wants  photographs of an ethnic festival with brightly dressed foreigners conspicuously in the background? I always attend dressed in tan and black to minimize my visual impact on others.

What I have a low tolerance for and have difficulty in accepting is the poor behavior of  some visitors.  Granted that most visitors behave properly but there is a certain percentage of people who behave poorly.  The greater the number of people in any group, the greater the number of miscreants. I have also found that certain nationalities also tend to be more prevalent to poor public behavior.

Americans used to be considered to be the world's worst tourists.  They have been superseded by Chinese, South Korean, Russian, and German tourists.  I suspect that Italian tourists could also outrank the Americans now.

The Tiji Festival is highly publicized and touted for tourism to Upper Mustang.  Although Upper Mustang receives approximately 3,000 visitors a year, the vast majority of them arrive for the three day Tiji Festival.  Most have not done their homework as to what the festival is about, and most of all how sacred and important it is to the local people.

The festival is for the local people.  They believe that just by attending and witnessing the ritual, they will receive blessings and merit.  The festival is not a commercial event to attract tourists and their money.

Some of the visitors that I observed behaved as if the festival was being conducted for their benefit and entertainment.  That did not excuse their boorish behavior.  On the right hand side of the courtyard, there were a series of well made long benches with red plush cushions on top of them. HINT.  HINT!  They were obviously not intended for tourists!  Other than the chairs set up on the opposite side of the courtyard with "VIP" signs on them, there were no other seating arrangements at the performance venue.

I realized right off the bat that these benches were for the Monks.  Taking advantage of that, I stood right behind them with my knees against the bench - I knew that the young Monks would not be standing and I would have an unobstructed view of the ritual.  

Many tourists came and sat on the benches before the start of the ritual.  Perhaps they did not know or realize.  Some of the tourists sat and refused to move even when they were told that the benches were for the Monks.  As the young Monks stood before them, they would not move.  Even when they were informed by the local people they refused to allow the Monks to use the benches.  Only after an authority figure in a uniform arrived did they reluctantly vacate the benches.

The area of the courtyard where the cham is performed is sacred ground having been purified before the start of the ritual and marked out in two large concentric red lines placed by a Monk pouring the red liquid on the cobble stoned courtyard.  This did not stop some tourists from sitting in the space and refusing to move or respect the area when informed ...until an authority figure appeared with a baton to move them.

Some people behaved even more disgracefully.  There was one Chinese female tourist who kept violating the sacred space to squat and get "HER" shot.  Her presence at times interfered with the movement of the performers. Despite protests from local as well as other tourists she persisted with her obnoxious and inconsiderate behavior.  She became well known and despised throughout the festival.

One foreign man would stand in front of the seated local people at the edge of the audience obstructing their view.  He was not there for a short period of time to take a photo but to watch the ritual!  At other times I saw him placing his hand on local people to move them.  

These were all behaviors that I had not observed in Lo Manthang during my other trips.  It was not an environment that I enjoy or prefer.

Tiji Festival Gallery Is Now Available

 

I am getting caught up on my photography website.  Today I got around to selecting and uploading 45 photographs from my May/June 2019 journey to Upper Mustang, The Former Kingdom of Lo, in Northern Nepal to attend the Tiji Festival.

The Tiji Festival is an annual event which commemorates the forces of good vanquishing evil.  It is a ritual which has deep roots in Tibetan Buddhism - Vajrayana practice.  It has been conducted in Lo Manthang since the 17th century.

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/2019-Tiji-Festival-Upper-Mustang

Mobile App Link:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/2019-Tiji-Festival-Upper-Mustang?mobile=true

A New Photo Gallery Is Available - "Saddhus of Pashupatinath"

A new photography gallery, "Saddhus of Pashupatinath", on my personal website is now available for viewing.

This gallery contains some selected photos of Saddhus, Hindu Holy Men, that I encountered on my recently concluded visit to Nepal.

Some of the Saddhus, I had visited and photographed on my previous two visits to Nepal in the past three years.  Many of the Saddhus, being wandering holy men, had left, some of them returning to India.

As always the interaction with the Saddhus was interesting and often entertaining.

The following is the link to the new gallery:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/The-Saddhus-of-Pashupatinath

Another day, Another Gallery

A gallery of 33 selected photos from the three day Yartung Festival in Lo Manthang, Upper Mustang is now available for viewing at the following link.

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/2018-Yartung-Festival


The purpose of our trip to Upper Mustang, The Former Kingdom of Lo, in August during the monsoon season was to attend the three day festival.  Getting there was difficult as well as complicated due to weather as well as road conditions.  However, it was well worth the time and effort.

Once in Lo Manthang, we were able to unite with friends and to witness a unique cultural event.

Sadhhus Re-Visited

I have always been interested in religious rituals.  Living in Southeast Asia gives me opportunities as well as easy access to rituals and celebrations that I would never have within the United States.

Here in Northeastern Thailand, I am able to travel easily and economically to places where Buddhist, Hindu, Animist rituals are still performed as part of the local people's life.  My quest to observe and photograph unique religious practices has me to Malaysia and taken my wife along with me to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan, Nepal as well as of course all across Thailand.

I am impressed with people who truly practice their faith.  They demonstrate their faith not through their words but by their actions and example.  It is this type of commitment that I wish to see and to try to understand.

It seems to me that there is a trait that we all share in this world no matter who we are or where we live.  There seems to me a premoral need for all people to have answers and to understand this world.  Since the earliest days of mankind the answers and understanding came from religion.  In more modern times, for many people, the answers as well as understanding have come from science.  Perhaps science is but another belief system like another religion that fills the need of mankind.

Last November, I encountered some Sadhhus - Hindu holy men.  I observed and photographed them at Pashupatinath, a Hindu holy site just outside of Kathmandu, Nepal.

 https://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2018/06/sadhhus.html

 As I prepare for every trip that we take, I had developed a list of goals and expectations for my return trip to Upper Mustang with my wife.  Although the ostensive purpose of our journey was to attend the Yartung Festival in Lo Manthang, I had goals that were related to visiting Kathmandu and the Hindu holy site of Muktinath.

For our August trip, one of my goals was to photograph some Sadhhus other than the resident Sadhhus of Pashupatinath Temple.  I was hoping to photograph some, in my opinion,"real",  Sadhhus.

Sadhhus Arriving at Muktinath

After attending the Yartung Festival, we stopped by at Muktinath on our way to Jomsom.  On my previous journey in November, we had stopped at Muktinath but manged to get only one-half way up to the temple - one of the difficulties that you can encounter when traveling in a group, no matter its' size.  This time with just my wife, our guide and myself along with the cooler temperatures of monsoon season (along with the mud) we made it all the way up to the temple.

After visiting the courtyard for a while, I noticed some people entering from the stairway - Sadhhus!

From our guide, we learned that the band of four Sadhhus had walked over from India - quite a journey!

Sadhus are Hindu Holy Men - ascetics - men who abstain from pleasure, comfort and self-indulgence as a form of spiritual discipline. They can be of any caste. They have renounced material possessions, the comforts of life and family ties to concentrate on discipline, self control, and religious study.  They rely upon the generosity of others for their food.  They are considered by Hindus to be representatives of the gods.

Like other Hindu as well as Buddhist pilgrims to Muktinath, the Sadhhus came to receive blessings.

In the courtyard of the temple there are two walls  up against the mountainside that form a 90 degree corner.  From the face of the walls, there are 108 waterspouts in the form of bull heads.  Fresh mountain water flows from each of the heads. The spouts are known as "Dhara" (water spouts) and this part of the temple is called "Muktidhara" (Liberation Water-spouts).  Pilgrims gain blessings by walking or showering in the free flowing holy water.  Some pilgrims capture some of the water in their palm and then toss the water over their head in a purification ritual.  Some pilgrims collect the holy water in containers including plastic recycled water bottles to take the holy water home for people unable to make the pilgrimage.

 

A Sadhhu Taking A Shower at Muktidhara

The water that flows down the mountainside feeding the 108 water-spouts, a very significant number in Hinduism as well as Buddhism, feeds the Kali Gangaki a very holy river in Nepal since it forms the left tributary of the Ganges River in India.  For Hindus water is very significant in their rituals and beliefs.  There are 7 holy rivers in India with the Ganges being one of the most important.

A Sadhhu Pilgrim Bathes at Muktidhara

A Sadhhu - a wandering ascetic from India

Two of the Sadhhus that we encountered at Muktinath, showered at the 108 water-spouts.  The other Sadhhus waded in the 2 nearby Kunda (water ponds).  The two ponds are actually man made pools at the entrance to the courtyard and are named for Goddess Laxmi and Goddess Saraswati.  The kunda contain holy water from the mountain springs.  It is believed that a dip in their water can wash away negative karma.  I saw one layperson actually immerse himself in the pond.  From the speed and reaction to the water, it was very apparent that the water was very cold.  Later, I tested it with my hand it seemed to be around 10C (52F).

The Sadhhus did not immerse themselves in the ponds.  A Policeman or security guard came by and seemed to prevent them from taking a complete plunge like the layman had done before his arrival.  He allowed them to stand along the edge or to climb down one step into the pond to access water with their hands.  They took some water and rubbed it on their legs, their neck, their face and their head.

Sadhhus Leaving Muktinath temple.

On our way out of the temple, we stopped at the Jwalamai Temple (Goddess of Fire). My wife and our guide enter and spent some time while I explored the area outside.  After a while the four Sadhhus appeared and enter the shrine while we were leaving.

We headed back down the trail and steps leading back to the village of Ranipauwa.  Shortly, I realized that the band of Saddhus were trailing us.  I told my wife to pull off to the side and to allow them to pass.  As they passed I informed them in English and through pantomime that I was too old, and that my ankles and knees were not all that good.  The Sadhhus stopped and individually chanted while rubbing my ankles, legs and knees!  After giving me their blessings, they proceeded on their way down the mountain.  We continued on our way behind them - me with renewed vigor, less distress and greater confidence in my joints.

We later passed them and bid our final goodbyes to them as they were shopping for shaligrams at a street side stand in the village of  Ranipauwa.

Sadhhus Shopping for Shaligrams

Our encounters with Sadhhus on this journey was not over.

Upon our return to Kathmandu, we spent a couple days to tour the city and environs.  This included a return to Pashupatinath temple near the international airport.  I wanted to return to the temple for several reasons.  I wanted to witness  the Arati Ceremony in the early evening, witness open air cremations alongside the Bagmati River, and deliver some photographs to the Sadhhus that I had encountered last November.

Old friends?

We arrived at the temple complex around 4:45 PM.  We walked through the entrance and after a very short walk, we encountered several Sadhhus relaxing on a stone bench  alongside the Bagmati River.  I recognized a couple of them from my previous visit.  I approached them to give them their photographs.  As I approached they broke out into large smiles and quite animated - they had recognized me.  I introduced Duang to them and they graciously posed with her so that I could take "her" photograph(s).  These were the Sadhhus that I did not fully "appreciate" on my last visit.  I had written about that encounter ...

"Were these real Sadhhus, true holy men?  Were these real Sadhhus or were they more like cosplayers or as real as a tiger is a tiger that lives in a zoo cage?  I don't know.  It is not for me to say.

Paraphrasing Paul Simon's lyrics in "The Boxer" ... "a man believes what he wants to believe and disregards the rest""

The circumstances of the previous encounter were quite different from this encounter.  In November, they were located on the hillside among the shrines to Shiva overlooking the ghats.  It was very hot morning and they were surrounded by hordes of tourists.  For this encounter it was early evening with no tourists and quite temperate climate.  The Sadhhus were very relaxed and it came into my mind that they were kind of like guys relaxing at the end of their shift at some manufacturing facility.

  
The above Sadhhu spoke fairly good English.  He pulled out a full sized newspaper page and showed it to us.  He was telling us that he was famous all around the world.  The two page newspaper article had two photos of him  and was about him.  I looked at the newspaper article and saw that it was in a language that I had never seen before.  I then asked him if the newspaper was from Bosnia?  He was shocked and asked how did I know?  I could not explain for this was not the first time in my life that I have said things that ended up being true for which I had no rationale or explanation.  I looked at him and then gave him a knowing look as I raised my hands and touched my temples with my fingertips while gently closing my eyes. He seemed to appreciate and understand.

I learned from a Sadhhu, that one of the Sadhhus that I had a print for had returned to India.  I gave him the photograph and told him that I was giving him the print as a memory of his friend who had returned to India.

We spent a very enjoyable time speaking with the help of our guide who translated as necessary with the "off-the-clock" Sadhhus.  It was a very special time and I was very pleased for Duang to share in this experience.

We left the Sadhhus to continue our exploring of the area.  We ended up on the hillside near the Shiva shrines.  There we encountered several more Sadhhus, some familiar, congregating near a fairly large building.  Sadhhus used to live in many of the Shiva shrines.  From our guide we learned that the temple authorities now have the Sadhhus bed down in this centralized location rather than inside the individual shrines scattered about the hill side.

A Familiar Face

It was a completely different and definitely more enjoyable experience meeting the Sadhhus of Pashupatinath during this trip than the previous trip last November.

I have a little different opinion of these Sadhhus and definitely a greater understanding of them now.  This seems only logical since I have written a few times why I often go to certain locales more than once. - " You go the first time to learn and only on subsequent visits do you start to understand".

My goal to photograph some Sadhhus, "real" Sadhhus  at that, had been realized, realized beyond my expectations.  There had been some memorable experiences that gave me and my wife a little more understanding of some remarkable people that we share this world and life with.