Upper Mustang. Tiji Festival. Nepal.

The images were gathered during a three week trip to Nepal in May 2017. Part of the trip consisted of a 10 day trek to the forbidden kingdom of Upper Mustang and the ancient capital city of Lo Manthang, close to the Tibet/China border. The visit to Lo Manthang coincided with the annual and ancient Tiji Festival. The three-day ritual, performed by the monks from the Chhode Monastery, is known as “The chasing of the Demons” and it is centred on the Tiji myth. Tiji tells the story of a deity named Dorje Jono who must battle against his demon father to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The demon father wreaks havoc on Mustang by creating a water shortage which, in this extremely arid land, is the most precious life-sustaining resource. Dorje Jono eventually defeats the demon and banishes him from the land.

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