Dumji is a deeply significant festival in the Sherpa community, celebrated annually with great reverence. The responsibility of organizing this event falls on every household, a duty that is undertaken one to three times in one’s lifetime, depending on the size of the community. This underscores the festival’s importance and its integral role in the Sherpa culture.

During the Dumji festival, a sense of equality prevails as everyone, regardless of their status, comes together. Monks from nearby monasteries are invited to recite the ceremony. The primary purpose of Dumji is to request help from various gods and goddesses to subdue the demonic enemies of the village and to celebrate the anniversary of the patron saint Lama Sanga Dorji.

At the festival, monks perform mask dances representing the deities, while the head lama recites a powerful mantra to protect the dancers. Sherpas from nearby villages gather in the host monastery courtyard. The youth perform a skit that humorously depicts the negative events and traits of the past year. The festival is not just a ceremony for Sherpas, but also a time to make offerings, receive blessings, earn merit, meet friends, and enjoy food, drink, and merrymaking.