Event : Mani Rimdu 2011
Date : Nov 10-13 2011
Venue : Chiwong Monastery, Solu Khumbu, Eastern Nepal
Map : http://ncthakur.itgo.com/districtmaps/solukhumbu_district.htm
Website : http://chiwongmonastery.com/festivals/the-dances-chham.htm
Schedule for Mani Rimdu 2011:
Wong (blessings) - Nov 10 2011
Chham (masked dance) - Nov 11 2011
Jhinsak (fire offerings) - Nov 12 2011
Lokpar (destruction of the sand mandala) - Nov 13 2011
Mani Rimdu is a 19-day sequence of sacred ceremonies and empowerments, culminating in a 3-day public festival.Mani Rimdu is a re-creation of legendary events; the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet by the great saint, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). Through the dances, symbolic demons are conquered, dispelled, or converted to Dharma Protectors, as positive forces clash with those of chaos. The dances convey Buddhist teachings on many levels - from the simplest to the most profound - for those who do not have the opportunity to study and meditate extensively
(Chiwong Monastery is perched a cliff, at an altitude of 9,000 feet - a 3-hour walk from the Phaplu airport, in the Solu Khumbu district of eastern Nepal The Solu Khumbu, signifies the lower and upper valley's of the Everest region, and is home to the legendary Sherpa people. With magnificent Himalayan sunrises, golden sunsets, stark natural splendor, and the dance of prayer flags against the wind, the Solu Khumbu is the gateway to Mt.Everest (8,848m), the highest mountain in the world.
The Sherpas regard the Solu Khumbu as Beyul - a sacred valley. In this remote part of Nepal bordering Tibet, Buddhism survives with a deep faith and resonance, and is filled with Buddhist monasteries, including Chiwong. )