Jinsak — the Fire Puja

Jinsak is the final public day of Mani Rimdu and the quietest of the three.

A fire is laid in the monastery courtyard and offerings are made into it in sequence, addressed to the deities of the mandala and to Agni, the fire itself. The purpose is purification and the removal of obstacles and harm — for the community, for the world, and for the year ahead. Where the dances the day before were loud and crowded, this is a smaller gathering around a fire, with chanting and the steady rhythm of offerings going in.

It closes the public festival. The remaining rites, including the dispersal of the sand mandala, belong to the monastery rather than the crowd.

Most trek groups are walking again by this point, which means the fire puja is often watched by a much thinner scattering of visitors than the dances were. If your schedule allows the extra day, it is the better of the two for actually being able to see what is happening.