MUSTANG: The cultural and religious festival ‘Yartung’ has begun in Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality of Mustang. This year, the celebration commenced in Khinga village, Ward No. 1, with locals marking the start of the festival on Monday with great enthusiasm.
The word ‘Yar’ means rain, while ‘Tung’ means end—symbolizing the end of the monsoon and the beginning of the winter season. Traditionally, the festival is celebrated after the monsoon crops like urad and jain are harvested and the rice fields have been planted. For centuries, Yartung has offered locals a relaxed and festive period before winter sets in.
According to Ward Chair Pramesh Gurung, the Yartung festival includes prayers for nature and world peace. The festival is observed on different dates across 19 villages within Waragung Muktikshetra and Upper Mustang, but the official celebration starts in Khinga village. The Gurung, Bista, and Lowa communities continue the festival in other areas following Khinga’s lead.
On Monday, residents of Khinga gathered at the community center, dressed in traditional attire. The Gurung community offered religious worship at the local monastery before returning to the center for communal meals and celebrations.
As part of the festival, men and women—aged between 18 and 60—undertook a pilgrimage from Khinga to Muktinath Temple and Narasimha Gumba. Men rode horses adorned in cultural dress, while women led the horses, singing Fendun Chhoki Rila, a traditional Yartung song in the local language. These songs expressed wishes for good fortune, harmony with nature, and peace.
After visiting the temple and monastery, a procession of horses returned to Purang Ranipauwa, where local youths held a traditional horse race and performed the Syabro dance. Accompanied by cultural songs and dances, the celebration highlighted the festival’s deep-rooted traditions.
Local resident Yangjung Gurung emphasized the importance of horse riding in the festival. “Without horse riding, Yartung has no meaning,” he said. “The true spirit of Yartung lies in horse riding, star dancing, and preserving cultural originality. It’s also a tradition that villagers only eat after the village priest has eaten.”
The horse procession from Khinga to Muktinath, covering about five kilometers, led to a temporary ban on vehicular movement along the Muktinath road for about an hour to prevent accidents and ensure safety.
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