MUSTANG IN NEPAL

Mustang is from Tibetan Mun Tan (Wylie smon-thang) which denotes fertile plain. Mustang, (former Kingdom of Lo), is part of Nepal and one of its districts (see Mustang District), in the north-east of that country, bordering China (Tibet) on the Central Asian plateau between the Nepalese provinces of Dolpo and Manang. It is roughly 80 km long (north-south) and 45 km at its widest, and is at an elevation of over 2500 m. Mustang is also known as a "Tibet outside the Tibetan Border" for it survived the Chinese invasion of 1951 and hence it fosters the original Tibetan culture, although now politically in Nepal. Life in Mustang meant animal husbandry and trade. The region being the easiest corridor through the mighty Himalaya linking the Tibetan Plateau and Central Asia with the tropical Indian plains, it enjoyed a trans-Himalayan trade. Because of its strategic importance it went through many wars, and hence various cultural and religious practices thrived in parallel in Mustang.

Climate

It is largely dry and arid (annual precipitation is in the range of 250-400 mm) due to its position in the rain shadow of the Annapurna massif towards the south.

Demographics

The population is around 9,000, spread between three towns and approximately thirty smaller settlements; the people are either Thakalis or Tibetan.

Most of the population of Mustang live near the river, 2-3,000 m above sea level, but the tough conditions cause a large seasonal migration into lower regions of Nepal. The administrative centre of the district is at Jomsom (Dzong Sampa), population 5,363 (1998), which has had an airport since 1962 and has become the main tourist centre since the area was opened to tourism in the 1970s.

Geography

The main feature of Mustang is the Gandaki River, its valley and tributaries. The river runs north-east to south-west towards Nepal Terai, bisecting the territory. It once served as the major trade route between Tibet and India, especially for salt. Part of the river valley, the Thak Khola, forms the deepest gorge in the world.

History

Mustang was once an independent kingdom, although closely tied by language and culture to Tibet. From the 15th century to the 17th century, its strategic location granted Mustang control over the trade between the Himalayas and India. By the end of the 18th century, the kingdom was annexed by Nepal.

However, the monarchy ceased to exist as the Kingdom of Lo in Upper (northern) Mustang, with its capital at Lo Manthang on October, 7th, 2008 by Nepali Government order.^[1] The last king (raja or gyelpo) was Jigme Palbar Bista (b. 1930), who traces his lineage back to Ame Pal, the warrior who is said to have founded the Buddhist kingdom in 1350 ^[2].

Tourism

Even though foreign visitors have been allowed to the kingdom since 1991, tourism to Upper Mustang is regulated. Foreigners need to obtain a special permit to enter, which costs US$500 per 10 days per person.

In 2007, a shepherd in Mustang discovered a collection of 55 cave paintings depicting the life of Buddha.^[3]