Nepal, Mani Rimdu

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In the valley to the west of the drainage of Mt. Everest sits the Chiwong Monastery. This is the site of the annual Mani Rimdu Festival. The Buddhist monks dress in costumes and dance ritual dances invoking Guru Rimpoche and the times he brought the teaching of Buddha to Tibet in the 7th century. Guru Rimpoche goes by a number of name, Padmasanbaba, Dorje Trollo and others.

Shot on location in the Solu Khumbu District of Nepal, the annual "long life" festival takes three days to complete. The festival atmosphere adds to the dances, the blessings culminating in the final fire purification built over a sand mandala.

The Sherpas in the area take a break from farming and see something akin to a "passion play" from Europe. The dances convey concepts without writing for much of the population cannot read. Not to mention the fact that their is little entertainment high in the Himalaya.

Special thanks to the Venerable Tushlig Rimpoche and the monks and nuns of both Chiwong and Tupten Choling Gompas.

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