Dumji

Dumji is one of the most important festivals of the Sherpas and commemorates the birth of the legendary Guru Padmasambhava. While in the rest of the world the Guru's birthday is celebrated in the tenth day of the sixth Tibetan month, here in Khumbu it is celebrated a month earlier and festivities begin on the first day of the fifth month. The first 6 days is usually preparative with the villagers going to the designated organizer's homes to lend them a hand. The festival proper begins on the seventh day when the flag pole is hoisted in the monastery. In the following days, there are masked dances, fire rituals, changing of prayer flags around the village and most importantly the worship of Khumbila, the patron deity of the entire Khumbu region. This festival is celebrated in the five communities of Phakding, Namche, Khumjung, Thame and Pangboche, with the Namche and Khumjung editions deserving a special mention. Very few outsiders get to see this festival though as it happens in June-July when the monsoon is in full swing. However if you want to see this amazing festival, here are the dates for the most happening four days starting on the seventh day: 2015 June 23-26, 2016 July 11-14, 2017 June 30-July 3, 2018 June 20-23 and 2019 July 9-12.