Research on Mustang, Nepal.

MUSTANG NEPAL RESEARCH The population of Mustang called as ​Loba​ or ​Lowa​ which is a Tibetan dialect. The Loba (Lo Pa) people are ethnic Tibetan and practice a form of Buddhism from the Sakya lineage. They are very close to the Tibetans regarding culture, language and follows ​Buddhism religion​. There is also a sect of the rare ​Bon religion​ here and the Bon priests practice along with Tibetan lamas at the local festival. They celebrate four major religious festivals: Gine, Gensu, Gelung, and Nayuene. But the ​Tiji festival​is more popular in Mustang. Its three-day festival consisting of Tibetan rituals known as ​“The chasing of the Demons”​. Also in Mustang, you may also find ​Nepali culture​ and r​ eligions​ in many areas celebrate different festivals.

Another interesting topic in ​Loba culture​ is ​marriage​. Quite commonly, a Loba woman will be married to several men, a practice is known as ​polyandry​. This is done due to the idea that there is less chance of a woman becoming a ​widow​ if she has ​many husbands​. This is a unique feature of the Loba, but nowadays in new modern time that is slowly diminishing. The younger Loba want to

discard

it, but the older generation feels it is necessary. The old cultures and religions are more influenced by modern time as the as the time goes on the ​Tibetan cultures​ or ​Loba’s​ are continuously decreasing.

Until 1992 the Mustang was strictly restricted for outsiders and only a small numbers of tourist or visitors permits allowed to visit. Due to long time isolation and low interactions from the outer world; the valley is gone hidden and the Mustang known as the ​Forbidden Kingdom​. Hence that’s why there’s Tibetan arts, cultures, traditions and ancient villages are well preserved. But tourism to the Upper Mustang​ is still regulated and Foreigners need a specific ​special permit​ to enter the kingdom. source for text & image above ​http://themustangmadness.com/mustang-and-its-culture/ TIJI FESTIVAL The myth related with the festival is as equally fascinating as it is celebrated. The myth relates the battle of God Dorje Jano against his evil father who created water shortage in the region with the motive to harass the natives that ultimately led chaotic circumstances. The battle went on for days and finally the good Dorje Jano was victorious, being able to banish the evil from the region. Since then the festival is celebrated to prevent the revival of the evil soul with several religious rituals that includes, masked dances, holy music, intense prayers and the burning of the evil soul. Monks performing “TSA CHHAM” dance on the first day of the festival and “NGA CHHAM” on the second day is fascinating to watch; whereas the final day of the festival observes the burning of evil soul. https://www.explorehimalaya.com/2016/02/03/tiji-festival-2016-the-most-beautiful-blend-of-culture-nat ure/ Tiji 2016 begins on 4th May and ends on the 6th. The trip for Tiji Festival 2016 departs on 26 April. A wonderful hiking journey that caters the Himalayan landscapes at its best blended with the barren highland deserts, each having interesting myths along with the myths associated with the cave burials has all to make it a hiking journey of a lifetime. Moreover, the fascinating Tibetan Buddhist culture that observes the most unique festival would undoubtedly make this trip of yours a great holiday; equally wonderful culturally and naturally.

The huge Thanka Painting drapes down the wall- the manifestation of the painting means tiji begins.

Tiji Festival also known as “Tenchi”. Locals consider this festival more as a prayer for world peace.

The festival doesn’t have a fix date. Every year the date is fixed for the three days festival after the

new Tibetan calendar is released. Celebration that prays for the world peace itself signifies Tiji importance.

MONKS PLAYING TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT ANNOUNCE THE BEGINNING OF TIJI FESTIVAL Monks playing traditional musical instrument announce the beginning of Tiji Festival The three days festival in process of establishing the world peace takes place inside the Wall City of Lo-Manthang. Several dances including mask dances are performed by the monks during the festival.

Locals from six different villages of Lo- Manthang gather in the venue where they are accompanied by hundreds of foreigners who come to observe the festival. In recent years the popularity of this celebration has taken heights. This year the festival was held from 3rd to 5th May, where more than 1000 tourists from different countries made their way to Lo-Manthang to participate in the occasion.

DANCERS IN COLORFUL TRADITIONAL ATTIRES ADD ENERGY TO TIJI On the first day, a large Thanka Painting of Guru Rinpoche is displayed against the wall where the stage is set. The Thanka is said to be displayed to public only on this day of the year. People bow to the painting of Guru Rinpoche which they describe would eliminate illness and diseases establishing good health to them and their family throughout the following year. A huge prayer is done inside the

monastery earlier in the morning which denotes the starting of Tiji Festival, which is also an annual occasion.

Later, the monks arrive to the stage and take their places respectively. These monks play the music through various instrument assigned to them throughout the festival. Monks would also perform their dances inside the fix territory made of three circles in the venue. The head dancer performs from the inner circle while the supporting dancers perform on the outer circles.

The head dancer has to go through a huge cave meditation for 3 months to be ready for the festival. It takes him a total of 3 months for the preparation of this dance. Day 1 of Tiji highlights monk dances.

MASK DANCE – THE LEAD DANCER ENCIRCLED BY FELLOW DANCERS On the second day, another large Thanka is displayed in front of the venue which is also displayed only once a year. This day, the monks perform various dances including mask dances. A lot of mask dance take places on this day as well. Later, in the afternoon, the king of Lo-manthang also attends

the festival. The locals honor the king by playing musical instrument. Unfortunately, due to sickness, the king could not make his presence this year.

THE GUNSHOT CELEBRATES THE END OF TIJI On the final day of Tiji, the monks continue their mask dances. This is the main day of Tiji. It is the day to establish world peace. So through their dance performances, the head monk takes the process to the end. As one of local monks described, it is the process of killing the evil spirit that you own in yourself. You have to kill the negative factors inside you to establish peace. So the process sees the killing of the demon inside you.

WITH GUN FIRES FROM LOCALS & ARCHERY FROM THE LEAD DANCER -TIJI ENDS In the occasion of the termination of the evil spirit, the locals fire gunshots which are obviously just for the purpose of celebration. The festival comes to an end, as the head dancer lead the evil out of the Wall City.

TIJI FESTIVAL A highlight of a visit to Lo Manthang is the Tiji Festival, a three-day ritual known as the ‘chasing of the demons’, held here during the summer.

Centred on the Tiji myth, which tells the story of a deity named Dorje Jono who battles against his demon father to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction, Loba villagers converge on the capital to participate in masked dances, offering prayers and celebrating a new season. source: ​https://www.internationaltraveller.com/nepal-lost-kingdom-of-mustang Religion

Introduction / History

The Loba live in the Mustang District of northern Nepal, at altitudes of between 11,000 and 13,000 feet. Mustang is a windy, arid, high altitude desert. It is surrounded on three sides by Chinese-occupied Tibet. Until 1992, this area was closed to the outside world.

Mustang is a semi-independent kingdom within Nepal. Legends claim that a fierce soldier named Ame Pal founded the Kingdom of Mustang some time between 1350 and 1380. Its territory includes the source of the Kali Gandaki River. The name Mustang is derived from the Tibetan word meaning, "Plain of Aspiration."

Socially, the Loba are divided into three groups, one of which contains those of royal heritage. Rules of society are based on the values of respect and honor. The structure of their families is also based on these and other traditions. One tradition says that the eldest son will inherit the family's property.

When he does, the next son must become a Buddhist monk.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Loba are primarily farmers, shepherds, or merchants. They build their homes out of stone, making the roofs out of thinly chiseled stone squares. The roofs are extremely uniform and smooth, and on each corner a small square is constructed so that prayer flags may be hung there. Most houses are built close together and have no windows, only holes in the walls to protect against the high speed winds that race up the mountains. In fact, their homes are never built toward the South because of the fierceness of these winds. Unfortunately, this is a drawback in the summertime because the houses grow very hot due to the lack of ventilation. For this reason, people often sleep on the terraces during the summer to escape the heat.

Although feudalism is more or less extinct in most of Nepal, it is alive and well in Mustang. This is evident even in the way the Loba build their homes. For example, the feudal lords build three-story houses; but the common people and those in the lower castes are only allowed to build single-story houses without walled in compounds.

In Loba society, a person may have as many as three names. The first name is given by a lama, or Buddhist monk. The second name will be the name they received from their parents at birth. Their third name, which is given them by the guru, or the Hindu spiritual teacher, is to be kept a secret.

It is common for a Loba woman to be married to several men, a practice known as polyandry. This is done because the Loba believe that there is less chance of a woman becoming a widow if she has many husbands. This is a unique feature of the Loba, but one that is slowly diminishing. The younger Loba want to discard it, but the older generation feels it is necessary.

The Loba dress very much like the Tibetan tribes living in the Himalayan region. Both the men and women grow their hair long and often wear it braided.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Loba are very religious people. Two Buddhist sects, the Kargyupa and the Sakyapa, are dominant in upper Mustang.

The Loba celebrate four major religious festivals: Gine, Gensu, Gelung, and Nayuene. Nayuene is celebrated once or twice a year and there are a number of rules that must be followed in order to observe it. These rules include a 48 hour fast and a vow of total silence. They also give to the poor and needy, and abstain from sexual relations during this time.

What Are Their Needs?

The Loba live in a kingdom that was founded by a fierce soldier under the oppression of feudal lords.

They were isolated for years and are completely unevangelized. The Lord longs to set the Loba free from earthly and spiritual bondages, and to birth them into the Kingdom founded upon His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Loba who live in the Kingdom of Mustang remain one of the most isolated peoples in the world, both geographically and spiritually.

Prayer Points * Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Mustang with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. * Ask the Holy Spirit to cause the Loba to become dissatisfied with their traditional religions, and to make them hungry for the Bread of Life. * Pray that God will open the hearts of the governmental leaders in Nepal as well as the local leaders of Mustang to the Truth. * Ask God to send Christian tourists and hikers to Nepal who will share the love of Jesus with the Loba. * Pray that the Lord will raise up a strong local church among the Loba. source: ​https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13080/NP

Negativity: Death, inhumane rituals, bad media images and other trivia’s.

Textual Research The tribe “Loba” located in Mustang Nepal (Also referred to as the Lost Kingdom) are highly religious, prayers and festive people. Their belief, understanding and rituals date back to ancient times. The Loba’s Traditions are closely related to early Buddhism known as Tribetan Buddhism. These follow the basic principles of Buddhism such as monasteries and reincarnation.

Death: Due to their religious values and belief the Loba tribe emphasises awareness of death and the temporariness of life. ​“Everything is always dying - the cells of our bodies are dying even while we live, reminding us of our own impermanence. And all the living things around us are dying, too.”

- Belief in rebirth Rituals: The Loba tribe along with their religious belief have multiple sacred burial rituals for ones passing, including; - Stripping the flesh of the bodies of the dead and putting the skeletons in the burials chamber (within a mountain) including children.

- Four kinds of rituals: ​“The first was cutting the flesh and leaving it for vultures to feed on, the second ritual was to bury the body in a chamber, and the third was to incinerate the body, and lastly, the ritual included cutting the flesh of the dead body and floating it in the rivers.”

Bad Media: - The Loba tribe was hidden from society for centuries and did not open up to the idea of tourism until 1992.

- It was often known as the Forbidden Kingdom until 1991 as the king refused all outsiders within the mustang boarder.

-Even when the kingdom was finally open to visitors it was restricted to only a 1000 people a year.

- Although these days tourism is welcomed, it is still quite restrictive and brief. Visitors must pay x amount of money just to enter the area of the Mustang tribe for a certain number of days.

- The Upper part of Mustang is still highly restricted; to enter one must gain a special permit.

The Loba tribes way of life is may be peaceful and heavenly in a sense, however their exclusivity and restrictiveness puts up boarders to the outside world.

- Tourism is highly regulated - Tourist must pay fee - Serious about laws and religious values - Restrictive culture - Not really accepting of outsiders. https://www.visithimalayastrek.com/burial-rituals-lo-manthang-mustang-nepal/ https://www.jimmynelson.com/people/mustang http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/tibetan_1.shtml

Nepal’s Lopa Tribe I’ve summarised information to know on our tribe.

Upper Mustang (from Tibetan Mun Tan, meaning ‘fertile plain’), a region in Nepal, formerly known as the Kingdom of Lo. Mustang is one of the most remote places on earth. It is also one of the last with pure Tibetan culture that has not changed since the 14th century.

The capital of the Mustang kingdom, Lo Manthang, is home to the Loba people, and its walled city is considered by some scholars to be the best preserved medieval fortress in the world. It is a candidate to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mustang sits high in Nepal’s Himalayas, surrounded by Chinese controlled tibet in the north, east and west. Therefore, Chinese presence is growing. The Loba tribe are struggling to live out their lives and keep their religious identity. This explains why they are still closed off to the rest of the world and entrance was off-limits to foreigners until 1992.

While the hidden Himalayan outpost is slowly feeling the influence of the outside world, from China to the north and Nepal in the south, the Loba people remain wary of any change that may cause its centuries-old culture to vanish.

The red monastery of Kagbeni sits at the very entrance to the “Forbidden Kingdom” of Mustang. It looks like a gate to this mysterious kingdom. From this old monastery, one can hear loud horns being blown early in the morning. Prayer flags flutter along bridges, and large prayer wheels are spun in the narrow lanes of the town.

The people dress in a Tibetan-influenced style, with women wearing distinctive colourful striped aprons and their hair in long braids. The most common two colours to see in garments would be red and black.

Moreover, the most widely used material is sheepskin and linen. Households rely on Chyangra goat farming for their livelihood. This is also where the NPIA plans to establish cooperatives and collection centers for raw fibers.

The buildings

The buildings are packed tightly together to help protect the residents from the strong winds that pick up each afternoon.

Structure

The high alleyways show of the structure of the buildings made of stacked stones and clay.

Grey, red & White stripes The Lobas, inhabitants of upper Mustang, are Buddhist from the​ Sakya​ lineage.

Traditionally, Sakya followers have been painting their sacred buildings in stripes of grey,

white and red, sometimes the Monastery is only red. These stripes are found only in Mustang.

Monastery, ​Tsarang,​ founded in the 14th century.

Mountains Mustang is because of the himalaya surrounded by mountains. This creates mountains with dynamic lines fading out into small stones at the bottom.