Dumje is an important festival celebrated by the Solu Sherpa Community. Tantric dances, initiations and “Nen-Seg-Phang-sum” i.e. trampling, burning and throwing (the practice to dispel evil spirits) are performed. Dumje is held at different monasteries. The celebration of Dumje festival began in Kyilkhor-Dingma in 1971 , and in Samten-Choeling monastery in 1998. Since 1992, the tantric dance of Guru Tsengye( the eight different aspects of Guru Rimpoche/Padmasambhava) has been performed annually. Its primary objective is to subdue all the evil spirits that harm sentient the demonic forces, hindrances and evil spirits on the one hand and to appease the high gods on the other.
Dumji is one of the great festivals in the Solukhumbu region among Sherpa communities. It is held every year in the month of May or June. Sherpa communities from nooks and corners participate in the festival. Lama Sangwa Dorjee was the first monk to start the Dumji festival in Pangboche around 360 years ago in honor of the birth anniversary of Guru Rimpoche. The first few days are rather subdued with just local families visiting each other for food and entertainment. Therefore, there is much dancing, drinking and merry making during the festival in the monastery along with Sherpa rituals performed by the monks. This festival is celebrated at the monasteries of Namche, Khumjung, Pangboche, Rimjung and Junbeshi and on this trek we observe the festival at KHUMJUNG MONASTERY. The exact dates of the festival may vary from place to place by one or more days earlier or later as the head monk of monastery decide the schedule of the local event. The ceremonies are presided over by the head lama of the respective monastery and include hilarious lama dances and traditional Sherpa dances.