Starting date from kathmandu April 24 and festival date 2-3-4 may 2008.

A festival celebrated in Mustang chasing of the Demons that centers on the Tiji myth. The Tiji festival lasts for three days doing different activities. The myth tells of a deity named Dorje Jono who must battle against his demon father to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The demon father wreaked havoc on Mustang by bringing a shortage of water and causing many resulting disasters from famine to animal loss. Dorje Jono eventually beats the demon and banishes him from the land. Tiji is a celebration and reaffirmation of this myth and throughout the festival the various scenes of the myth will be enacted. It is of course timed to coincide with the end of the dry winter/spring season and will usher in the wetter monsoon season. Tiji comes from the word "ten che" meaing ‘the hope of Buddha Dharma prevailing in all worlds' and is effectively a spring renewal festival. This festival occurs normally in May and is a big festival in Mustang.

Three days of TIJI

Day One
Early in the afternoon, horns resounded, announcing the two twelve-foot copper dunchens, with their elephantine blurting, followed by two double-reeled horns, all accompanied by drum and cymbals.

Next, an ancient and enormous tanka three stories high was unrolled down the entire south wall of the square. The thanka portrayed Padma Sambhava or (Guru Rimpoche) who brought this ceremony to Tibet in the 8th century."

At mid-afternoon, in high wind and blowing dust, eleven lamas in maroon and gold, wearing high red hats, came from the palace and took their places along the wall beneath the thanka, with Tashi Tenzing on the elevated seat just in the center.

As the monks and lamas commence chanting, twelve more monks come from the palace in maroon and royal blue and glittering gold brocade, with cymbal-shaped hats decked with upright peacock plumes. Soon they withdraw, to be replaced by the masked dancers who" start the portrayal of the Tiji myth.

Dorje Jono repels the demon through the power of his magical dancing — he dances fifty-two separate dances, one of them in ten different bodies, each with a different head. As the dances end, Dorje Jono kills the demon, after which his people are relieved of their plague of misfortunes, water becomes plentiful once more, and the balance and harmony of existence are restored.

Day Two
On the second day of Tiji, numbers of Loba have arrived from the outlying hamlets, and the small square is thronged with wild beautiful people, with all of the women and children, at least, in traditional dress.

The King of Mustang, " wears a whole crown of tiny river pearls set off by dozens of large red coralline tones interspersed with matched ornaments of turquoise.

The costumes and masks, the twelve-foot horns, the gold cups of wheat, the butter cakes, the snow peaks and wind and dust and sun, the mehti, snow leopard, snow pigeons, saligrams, the dying glacier and the desert ruins, the drunks and rajas and foreigners, the dogs and yaks. Tantra!

Day Three
On the third day, Tiji ends with the ceremonial destruction of the evil remains, represented by some long black yak hair and red torma cakes minced to a dark red gurry. The demons red remnants are set out on an old tiger skin, where-upon they are attacked by bow and arrow, slings, and the old guns. The poor devils remains are over- turned upon the ground, each time to a wild cannonade from the old muzzle-loaders and a wave of cheers and smoke.

About Mustang-a forbidden kingdom
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Mustang with an average elevation of 13,600ft, remains almost entirely Tibetan in character and appearance forbidden to foreigners until 1992 Mustang remains a controlled region which very few people visit, a deliberate policy of cultural and environmental preservation. It is a Kingdom within a Kingdom, Mustang's wealth was derived from its position on the Kali Gandaki / Thak Khola trade route to Tibet, the region still retains its own King is a fantastic square-walled town. A trek into this fabled Kingdom of Mustang takes us to a kingdom of vast high arid valleys, eroded canyons, stratified rock formations, yak caravans, colorfully-painted mud-brick houses, a barren desert-like appearance and ancient salt-trade routes linked to the high passes of Tibet. Not only beautiful landscape, unique culture but panoramic views of Nilgiri, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and other soaring peaks, a remote route southeast of Lo Manthang is to explore. A limited number of permits are issued to trekkers each year in order to protect the local Tibetan traditions and the fragile ecosystem. Mustang is a rugged mysterious arid and haunting wilderness region set amid a lunar landscape of wind eroded hills and cliffs. Trekker's destination is the exotic walled city of Lo Manthang the seat of the King. The Kings Palace is surrounded by maize of gompas and private houses all enshrined within the city boundary walls. Unmolested Mustang is frozen in time it remains one of the ultimate journeys ever likely to be made in one lifetime. Although fierce winds, exposed terrain, high altitude and the rigors of the Tibetan plateau make this region a challenging one, the rewards for venturing deep into the Kingdom of Mustang are immense! We start our trek with fly up one of the deepest gorges in the world - squeezing between Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri I, both 8,000m - and land at Jomsom (2,700m / 8,858ft) amidst the stunning high desert scenery of the upper Kali Gandaki river. On way back we take a different route via Muktinath and finish at Jomsom.

Itinerary

Cost:
Trekking organize USD1270 per person group joining basis
Special permit fee USD 700 per person
ACAP fee USD 32 per person
Flight fares (Pokhara-Jomsom-Pokhara) USD 160 for foreigner and USD
65 for Nepali per person

Trekking cost includes: Full board basis tented camp trekking, hot drinks,
ground transportation, guide, sherpa, cook, kitchen helpers, porters,
insurance, equipments and other facilities for the staffs, arrival/departure
transfer, taxes and other logistic support etc.

Trekking cost excludes: Personal wears & gears, personal nature expenses,
emergency rescue cost, cold beverage, mineral water, alcoholic drinks, tips
etc.

Service includes: Full board basis tented camp trekking service, hot drinks, Special trekking permit and entry fee of ACAP, air fares PKR-JOM-PKR), ground transportation, guide, sherpa, cook, kitchen helpers, porters, insurance, equipments and other facilities for the staffs, hotel with breakfast in Kathmandu/Pokhara, arrival/departure transfer, taxes and other logistic support etc.

Service excludes: Personal Wears & gears, Personal nature expenses, Emergency Rescue cost, lunch/dinner in kathmandu/Pokhara, cold beverage, mineral water, alcoholic drinks, tips etc.