Mustang is a mysterious land in Nepal. The kingdom of Lo, Upper mustang is the culturally related
to the Tibetan plateau. The desert like geography, unique tradition and culture
made the Mustang one of the best places for tourist. Thousands of visitor visit
this land every year.
The total area of Mustan gregion is about 2020 Square Kilometers. The population density is very low.
It is about 3.47 per square kilometers. Lo- Manthang is the capital of former
Mustang kingdom. The Lo is one major ethnic tribe in Mustang. In history,
Mustang was the kingdom of Lo, and now it is the part of Nepal.
Mustang was an independent kingdom which was closely tied with
Tibet and similar to Tibet in language and culture. It was the strategic
location for the trade between Nepal, China and India. At the end of 18th
century, the kingdom was annexed by Nepal.
The last official and current unofficial king of Mustang is
Jigme Dorje Parbal Bista. He is directly lineage with the Ame Pal, the founder
of Buddhist Kingdom in 1380. The Lo- Manthang city was surrounded by wall
surprisingly and still we can see some appearance.
In 2007, a shepherd in Mustang discovered a collection of 55
cave paintings depicting the life of Buddha. After that the land became more
famous among the visitors.
Mustang lies on the rain shadow of the Annapurna massive and
Dhaulagiri range towards the south. So, the land is largely dry and arid. The
annual precipitation ranges from 250 to 400 mm and temperate remains very low
in night.
Most of people in Mustang region lives near the Kaligandaki
River which flows to the south of Nepal. Lo, Thakali, and Gurung are the major
tribes in Mustang. The administrative center of Mustang district is Jomsom.
Jomsom is an emerging town of Mustang which is directly connected with lower
part of Nepal by air and road transport. Jomsom airport was built in 1962.
Kaligandaki river bank was the trade route between Tibet and
India especially for salt. We can see 'Saligrams' on the bank of river which is
considered as the form of Lord Vishnu in Hindu myths. Besides, Kaligandaki
River also forms the deepest gorge in the world.
The beautiful Mustang region had opened for foreign visitors
since 1992. However, tourism is still regulated in this area. A special permit
is required for foreigners to enter the Upper Mustang which is politically
sensitive area directly linked with Tibet. Mustang is expensive trekking
destination in comparison with other trekking destinations in Nepal. Trekkers
have to follow the same trade route used in 15th century which is another
attraction. August, September and October are busy visiting time. Tiji festival which falls on May or April is also a
busiest period.
Furthermore,
Upper Mustang area of Nepal is listed as the recommended top destinations for
visitors to travel in the year 2013 by the Lonely
Planet.
