Yartung Festival in Manang and Mustang

Manang and Mustang are beautiful places in the Trans-Himalayan region, situated in the heart of the Annapurna Himalayas. These charming villages are known for their natural beauty, cultural celebrations, and religious rituals. The Yartung Festival is one of the most popular festivals celebrated annually in the villages of Manang and Mustang. This vibrant and exciting event offers a great glimpse into the traditions of the Manang and Mustang region.

The name YARTUNG means “the end of summer”: Yar for summer and Tung for the end or farewell. This festival is not only rich in culture and tradition but also deeply connected to religious beliefs. It is also called the Yartung Mela (Fair) by local residents of the Manang and Mustang areas.

A key highlight of the Manang Yartung Festival is horse riding. Before the festival, people let their horses run freely for almost four to five months as part of the preparation. Afterwards, they bring the horses back for a horse race. There is no prize for the winner; the focus is on the bond between horses and people, along with love, camaraderie, and celebration among the local community.

The purpose and Significance of the Yartung Festival are the end of the summer season, community and social harmony, and religious rituals. 

Main Activities During the Yartung Festival of Manang

This three-day festival is a lively celebration of religious rituals, cultural heritage, and community participation. During the festival, various activities take place in Manang.

Horse Riding – The main event of the Yartung Festival is horse riding. While mostly men participate, women sometimes join the competition as well, showcasing their skills, bravery, and speed.

Traditional Dance and Music – During the event, local people also engage in traditional dance and music, adding to the festive atmosphere. Their traditional attire will be the watchable point of the festival. 

Local games – Local games like Archery, stone throwing, and tug of war will be performed, and the winner will be announced. These games will add extra beauty to the Manang Yartung Festival. 

Family get-together – For the festival, all the families will get together and celebrate together. They will have local food, wear local attire, and get blessings from the old to the young. Local dishes such as Tsampa, Chhang (Local wine), butter tea, Khapse, etc. 

Monastic ceremonies – During the festival, all the Gompas will perform Puja (ceremony) for the well-being of the region and the community. The monks and nuns will be involved in the Puja at the Monasteries (Gompas) 

How Yartung Festival celebrate? 

This festival is usually celebrated during the month of August on the full moon day. Yartung Festival will be celebrated in the higher region of both Manang and Mustang. Such and Braga, Manang, Tanki Manang, and Khangsar at the Manang side. And the Muktinath and Lo Manthang at the Mustang side. 

The Yartung festival will follow different types of celebration for three days. 

Day 1 of the Yartung festival is more about the Monastic celebration as the beginning of the event. Where monks perform music, chant, prayers, and blessings. 

Day 2 of the Yartung festival is about the various activities such as horse riding, Archery, stone throwing, singing, and dancing by the local people. 

Day 3 of the Yartung festival embarking for the dedication to the women who dress in traditional costumes and perform at the festival. And in the late afternoon, the final blessing and rap of the festival. 

How to get there for the celebration? 

It depends on which side of the Yartung festival you would like to observe. If you want to see Manang’s side, you can include it with the Annapurna Circuit Trek. For that, you have to drive to Besisahar and then again can continue to drive to Dharapani, Chame, Pisang, and Manang. 

If you want to see Mustang side again, you can directly drive to Muktinath or can even combine with the Lower Mustang Trek or the Upper Mustang Trek. Just need to figure out where to observe the Yartung Festival, Manang or Mustang? 

At the end, 

The Yartung festival is an annual festival that is celebrated in the higher part of the Manang and Mustang districts. This festival is celebrated for the local harmony, peace, and love among each other and the animals, especially the horse. Yartung usually celebrates in the month of August or September at the end of the summer season.