Tiji Festival is the grand Tibetan-Buddhist festival celebrated in the Lo-Manthang City of Upper Mustang. The festival remains endemic to the people of Upper Mustang. The term "Tiji" stands for “Tenchi." Both of these are the short forms of Tenpa Chirim, which means prayer for world peace. The festival started over 300 years ago as a celebration of the victory of good over evil. The festival traces the folk history of Dorje Jono and Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche, directly linked to Tibetan Buddhism. Dorje Jono (Vajrakila) is a popular deity in Vajrayana Buddhism. He defeated the evil forces to bring prosperity and acted on the instruction provided by Padmasambhava himself. Every year, during May, the monks of Chhode monastery perform the special Vajrakila ritual in Lo Manthang. The festival started by the inhabitants of Lo Manthang honors the legacy of Dorje Jono and Padmasambhava. The festival undertakes a lengthy ritual that consists of prayer chants and colorful masked dances. The dances enact the historical battle between Dorje Jono and the evil forces. The three-day festival begins with a peaceful dance, which escalates to a vibrant performance depicting the winning of the good over the evil. On the last day of the festival, performers disguise themselves as demons and gods and wear eccentric masks and horns called "Dhungchen."
