Tengboche- A pilgrimage site that harmonizes mountains and spirituality

  • Sarba: My soul finds its grace and pace in the embrace of the mountain.
  • Last Updated on Oct 15, 2024

Tengboche is a small Sherpa village in the Khumbu Region where one can find the most important Buddhist gompa within the region. The Tengboche Gompa, directly connected to the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet, stands over the village and is the largest among the monasteries. This picturesque village is placed on the ridges that offer striking views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Tawache, Mount Everest, and other peaks, and it is a popular stop for trekkers on the Everest Base Camp trail.

Highlights of Tengboche

  • The Tengboche Monastery is the key highlight of Tengboche village itself-which is sacred in nature. Visitors can watch the elaborative afternoon prayer rituals of the lamas here.
  • Mani Rimdu Festival, one of the most happening Sherpa festivals in the Solu Khumbu Region, is organized within the village and attracts participation from near and far.
  • Even though Tengboche has traditionally been famous for its wonderful mountain views combined with its relaxed atmosphere, local people treat the place as sacred.
  • Closeby attractions are Pangboche-the oldest Sherpa village settlement-and Ama Dablam Base Camp.
  • Due to its location within Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the surrounding forests harbor rare wildlife, which includes the Himalayan Tahr and the snow leopard.
  • This monastery and village give a fantastic viewpoint of the peaks of Ama Dablam, Tawache, Thamserku, Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse.

Table of Contents

History of Tengboche Monastery

Tengboche Monastery known as Dawa Choeling Gompa was built in 1916 by Lama Gullu, and is the most famous monastery of the Nyingmapa sect in the Everest Region. It had previously been destroyed by an earthquake in 1934, and since then locals struggled to reconstruct it. For the rebuiliding, carpenters were brought in from Lhasa, and the interior was decorated with murals painted by the famous artist Kappa Kalden. But a disastrous year, 1989, again faced them, an electric short circuited and generated a fire that totally razed the building. The present monastery has been rebuilt under the guidance of Nawang Tenzing Jangpo with financial assistance provided by the local Sherpa population along with international donors. Nowadays, it is home to nearly sixty monks at the Tengboche Monastery.

How to Reach Tengboche?

As it is no roadway to this village, the only way to reach there is to trek from Lukla. Most of the trekkers spend their first three days at Phakding and Namche getting acclimatized and reach Tengboche on the fourth day. It is over nine kilometers from Namche to Tengboche, and that takes four to five hours.
 
Tengboche trail is famous for its breathtaking panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks. The route descends steeply with a subsequent ascent before reaching a traditional village gate known as Kani. Murals of Buddhist deities are painted on the inside of the gate. These deities are believed to protect the travelers from evil spirits. Further ahead, a flight of stone steps leads up to the beautiful settlement of Tengboche. You can also go on a trek package to Tengboche.

When is the best time to visit Tengboche?

The spring and autumn months are ideal times to visit Tengboche, peaking at the Mani Rimdu Festival. It falls in the ninth Tibetan lunar month according to the Gregorian calendar. Mani Rimdu is an important festival for the Sherpa community, second only to Dashain in importance, celebrated at the Tengboche and Chiwong monasteries, and more recently, Thame monastery, which is located in the Khumbu Region. While the festival lasts for nineteen days, the public is welcome to join the celebrations only during the last three days.
 
This is a colorful festival filled with colored ceremonies such as masked dances, religious skits, sacred rituals, and fire worship, ensuring the protection of living beings and promoting peace and harmony in the world. Mani Rimdu epitomizes ancient Tibetan Buddhist heritage among the Sherpas, who migrated onto Nepalese soil from the Kham district of Tibet centuries ago.

Precisely where is the Village of Tengboche?

Tengboche village is located in Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality in the Khumbu subregion of Province No. 1 in Nepal. Generally, it is most famous for the Tengboche monastery-a very important place concerning Buddhism and even attracting visitors around the world. Its religious significance is further accorded to the village by the location of two holy valleys of Rowling and Khanbalung, as mentioned in Tibetan Buddhist literature.
From here, it was possible to see some of the most panoramic Himalayan peaks: Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. It is situated at the junction of the Dudh Kosi and Imja Khola rivers in the district of Solukhumbu northeast of Kathmandu; it is a village with many Sherpa inhabitants who migrated from Tibet to Nepal's mountainous areas about six centuries ago.
Tengboche is relatively better connected with Namche Bazaar and is close to Lukla Airport, which enjoys direct flights from Kathmandu. It also lies along the popular Everest trek route; thus, it remains a point of preference for rest by trekkers and tourists en route to Everest Base Camp. The monastery sees scores of visitors in peak seasons drawn by its rich cultural heritage.
The Tengboche monastery is strategically placed near some of the most famous peaks in the Solukhumbu district, hence it is accessible to mountaineers and trekkers alike. This monastery is an important place to visitors because it blesses them on their journey. With interest in mountaineering and trekking on the increase, visitors flowing into the monastery have also increased. Many of them come to light candles as prayers for health and good fortune, furthering its reputation as a place for spiritual consolation in Nepal and other parts of the world. Tengboche is a spot in the Khumbu Himalayas for which several travel writers assert that it is an important center, not just in physical but also in spiritual terms.

How Tengboche Celebrates the Colorful Mani Rimdu?

Every year, the colorful Mani Rimdu Festival usually takes place in October or November, the tenth Tibetan lunar month that falls in peak Nepal trekking time. It is a five day festival, showcasing religious rituals, songs, dances, and plays of legend portrayed against the dramatic landscape.
They dress up in traditional religious attire and masks and perform different dances showing the victory of Buddhism over the ancient Bon religion. It attracts the local Sherpa people, and most of them travel long distances just to be part of the occasion. It is considered one of the most important festivals and lasts for nineteen days, which is a great opportunity for visitors to view and participate in it. Understand what makes the Mani Rimdu Festival unique from other festivals in Nepal.
Sarba: My soul finds its grace and pace in the embrace of the mountain.

Sarba: My soul finds its grace and pace in the embrace of the mountain.

Mr. Sarba is an energetic, multifaceted travel expert at Nepal Nomad, a reputed local travel company that has been running tour operations for 18 years. Being the owner, tour manager, and managing director of the company, Sarba's impetus has been vital in its growth and success. Nepal Nomad puts great emphasis on the safety and enjoyment of its clients, and provides enthusiastic teams of guides, porters, and mountaineers.
The guides and porters are trained in various skills for safety, such as first aid, map reading, and methods of evacuation for all tourists. Added to this, all members speak multiple foreign languages, hence it aids in communicating with the clientele base from different corners of the world. Nepal Nomad does excel in providing tailored itineraries with fixed departures so as to make any tour more endearing to its clients. Any inquiries regarding prices or other information can be forwarded to the very friendly in office staff. For a travel experience combining expertise, safety, and personalized attention to detail, Nepal Nomad is the ideal choice.
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