Mani Rimdu
🎭buddhist

Mani Rimdu

मणि रिम्दु

November 5, 2026AD3 days

Sherpa masked dance festival at Tengboche Monastery

About the festival

Mani Rimdu is a Sherpa Buddhist festival held at Tengboche Monastery (3867m) beneath Everest. Monks perform three days of elaborate masked Cham dances representing the conquest of Buddhism over the old Bon religion. The festival concludes with a fire puja and distribution of pills blessed by the Rinpoche.

Traditions

  • Cham Masked Dance — Monks in elaborate deity costumes and painted wooden masks perform ritual dances that last for hours over three days.
  • Fire Puja — A concluding fire ceremony burns away negativity and obstacles for the Sherpa community and all who attend.

Foods

  • Tsampa — Roasted barley flour, the Sherpa and Tibetan staple, consumed during the festival gathering.
  • Butter Tea — Yak butter tea distributed to festival-goers at Tengboche.

Significance

  • Celebrating Buddhism's triumph over Bon religion and renewing the Sherpa community's spiritual life in the shadow of Everest

What to wear

  • Warm trekking clothes — this festival is at 3867m in November. Traditional Sherpa Chuba robes for locals.

Tips for diaspora

  • Watch video documentation of Mani Rimdu from Tengboche — there are many stunning films. If planning an EBC trek, time it for November to witness this ceremony.