It is celebrated in all the Sherpa settlements in the month of July. The Sherpas of Kathmandu and Helambu regions participate in dancing on this day. Generally, there are no such major festivals in this month. Being the rainy season, this month is the peak time for harvesting crops.
This is a very special festival in the Khumbu area celebrated in the month of July every year. There is much dancing and merry making in addition to the more serious rituals and dances performed by the monks.
The Dumji Festival celebrates and honors the anniversary of Guru Rinpoche birth on the lotus flower. Lama Sangwa Dorji is the founder of the earliest monastery of Khumbu and he was the first to start the Dumji festival in Pangboche about 360 years ago in order to coincide with the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche.
The festival serves as a religious and community duty to help bring the villagers together. Every 13 years it falls upon three families to provide food and drink for the entire village for the duration of celebrations, which lasts for 4 days.
Dumji festival is performed by the Tengboche Monks in Tengboche, Namche Bazar, Khumjung and Pangboche of Khumbu, and junbesi of Solu. The festival in Namche is the most interesting and popular one amongst them all. These dates may vary by one or more days as the tengboche Rinpoche, abbot of Tengboche Monastery.
| Day 01: |
Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla and take a short trek to Phakding.
We fly from KATHMANDU to the tiny airstrip at LUKLA (2,744m), built by Sir Edmund Hillary and the Sherpas. The flight itself is awe inspiring. Once landed, we have lunch while our equipment is sorted and loaded. We then take a walk to PHAKDING and camp. |
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| Day 02: |
Trek to Namche
A fine day’s walk along the Dudh Kosi Valley crossing several suspension bridges and small lodges. Arrive at Namche, at 3450m. This is an important village in this region with distictly a Sherpa flavour. |
| Day 03: |
Rest at Namche
We enjoy a rest day here to allow for maximum acclimatization on our way to Everest Base Camp. A pleasant day can be spent exploring the incredible scenery. |
| Day 04: |
Trek to Tengboche
Descend through the valley, continuously passing picturesque Mani walls and Chortens before ascending along Dudh Kosi. You could see several water driven prayer wheels. Ascending gradually towards Phunkitenga untill you reach Tengboche at 3867m. Tengboche is reputed to be one of the most beautiful spot in the Himalayas with an outstanding monastery and a spectacular panorama of Everest, Lhotse (8616m, world's 4th highest) |
| Day 05: | Observe Dumji at Tengboche. |
| Day 06: |
Rest at Dingboche
We move up to the Imja Khola valley to Pangboche (3,830m). We stop here for lunch and to visit the Monastery and look at the Yeti scalp. In the afternoon we continue on to the summer village of Dingboche. The scenery is this part of the trek is supeb all day. Another day for acclimatization which should give everybody an excellent chance of ascending Kala Pattar. From this yak herder’s village there are various interesting side excursions. A two hours walk to the huts at Chhukhung (4,750m) will take you to the glacier flowing off Nuptse and Lhotse. We camp at the foot of the Ama Dablam. |
| Day 07: |
Trek to Lobuche
We walk up a small ridge and then tour round the Base of the Khumbu Glacier and have lunch at Dughla (4,628m). From here, we have a short steep climb to the terminal moraine of the glacier from where the views are stunning. We can tour around the moraine again to camp at the foot of the Lobuche Ice Fall. |
| Day 08: |
Visit Kalapathar - Trek to Lobuche
We walk slowly over several moraines before a hard ascend to Kalapatar (6,753m), Lingtren (6,329m) and Khumbutse (6,127m) from the Tibetan boarder: glaciers surround us: and Mount Everest dominates all. This is the roof of the world. |
| Day 09: |
Trek to Pheriche
Retracing our steps down to Dughla (4,596m) for lunch, we then descend to Pheriche. Here is located the Himalayas Rescue Associations a small high-altitude experimental medical station, well worth a visit. |
| Day 10: |
Trek to Tengboche
We continue down from Pheriche Valley to Tengboche. |
| Day 11: |
Trek to Jorsale
We pass through Namche Bazaar for a quick cup of tea, before descending again to Dudh Koshi and the trail to Jorsale. |
| Day 12: |
Trek to Lukla
We follow the trail back to Lukla and have a small farewell party to thank our trekking crew. |
| Day 13: | Fly to Kathmandu |
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Lining up
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Festival 1
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Dumji Festival 1
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Dumji Festival 2
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Dumji Festival 3
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Dumji Festival 4
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Dumji Festival 5
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Dumji Festival 6
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Dumji Festival 7
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