Mystical stories of Nepal and the mustang kingdom. Forbidden Kingdom Mustang
Day 1: Arrival in Nepal.
Meeting at the airport, transfer to a hotel in the tourist area of Thamel. Inspection walks around Kathmandu.
D Day 2: Excursions to Kathmandu.
A full day of sightseeing in the capital of Nepal. In the morning, visit the Buddhist temple - Swayambhunath. Next, the most sacred ancient complex for Hindus is Pashupatinath, where you can see wandering yogis - sadhus and the traditional rite of cremation. The largest stupa in Nepal, Boudhanath, is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. Then move to the ancient city of Patan.
Pathan
Day 3: Transfer to Pokhara.
Transfer to the city of Pokhara. Pokhara is located at the foot of the eight thousandth Annapurna massif on the shores of a very picturesque lake. Walking around the city. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Flight to Jomsom, start of the trek.
A short flight on a small plane to the city of Jomson. Trekking along the Kali-Gandaki river valley to the village of Kagbeni (2850m).
Day 5: Trek to Chele (3060m), 5-6 hours.
Checking permits at the police checkpoint and then the path goes through the territory of Upper Mustang. The Hindu culture of Nepal remains behind us; the mystical Buddhism of Mustang lies ahead. The trail continues along the Kali Gandaki River, passes through two villages and, after crossing the river, rises to the village of Chele.
Day 6: Trek to Geling (3570m), 7 hours.
The trail goes through several villages and passes with excellent views of the mountains. Night in the village of Geling.
Stupa at Tsarang
Day 7: Trek to Tsarang (3575m), 6-7 hours.
The path passes through the Niya La pass (4020m), from where there is an excellent view of the eight-thousander Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. Next you will meet the village of Ghami, and the longest wall in Nepal, Mani, made of stones with carved mantras. Tsarang is the second largest village in Mustang. Here is a palace built by the first king of Mustang, Ame Pal, in 1378. and an equally ancient gompa.
Day 8: Trek to Lo Manthang (3840m), 4-5 hours.
The trail descends to the canyon of the Tsarang Chu River, crosses the river and rises to the Lo Pass (3950m). From the pass you can see the Lo Manthang valley. The last passage along the lifeless hills leads to the capital of the lost kingdom of Mustang.
Monks in Lo Manthang
Day 9: Explore Lo Manthang.
Day of exploring the city. Visit to Champa Lhakang Temple, Tungchen Monastery and Royal Palace. There will be time to just wander through the narrow streets and get acquainted with the life of Lo Pa - that’s what the inhabitants of the kingdom call themselves.
Monk during the Tiji festival
Day 10: Outskirts of Lo Manthang.
Walks around the city. Royal Summer Palace Tingkhar, Namgyal Gompa and Nyapu Rock Monastery.
Day 11: Trek to Drakmaar (3820m), 5-6 hours.
The return to the village of Ghami takes a different route. The trail first climbs to the Chogo La pass (4325m) - this is the highest point of the trek. Then it leads to Ghar Gompa - one of the most ancient in Nepal. Then another mountain pass - the Marang La pass (4170m) and the descent to Drakmar.
Day 12: Trek to Xiangmochen (3820m), 5-6 hours.
Day 13: Descent to Chele (3060m), 6 hours.
Day 14: Trek Chele-Kagbeni-Jomsom, 6-7 hours.
Day 15: Spare.
Reserve day in case the flight to Pokhara is canceled due to bad weather.
Day 16: Return to Kathmandu.
Flight from Jomsom to Pokhara and transfer to Kathmandu.
Day 17: Flight home.
- an amazing lost corner of the eastern world, miraculously surviving and living according to its own internal laws. Foreigners were forbidden to enter the lands of Mustang, and until recently the world knew practically nothing about it, its population and culture; this is one of the few remaining unexplored corners of the planet.The name of the state comes from the Tibetan language - Mun Tan, which means “fertile plain”. In foreign language pronunciation, two variants of pronunciation of the name of the kingdom have been fixed: Mustang and Montang, both of these variants imply the same word.
The Kingdom of Mustang has lost its independence since the 18th century and became an administrative region of Nepal, but it is most closely connected with a completely different country - Tibet, both by family ties and culturally and historically. Tibetan is spoken and written here, and ethnically the Lo-Pa, the people who make up the majority of Mustang's inhabitants, are Tibetans.
At the same time, its independent position from Tibet protected the Buddhist culture of Mustang from the losses that Tibet itself suffered in the 20th century.
This corner of Western Tibetan culture in the territory of modern Nepal is located in the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki River. Mustang borders Tibet and lies between the Nepalese provinces of Dolpo and Manang. It is inhabited by about 9,000 people, mainly Tibetans and Thakali.
The modern Kingdom is divided into two parts: Lower Mustang and Upper. Nizhny, with its capital in Jomsom, is under strong Nepalese influence. Identity and royalty still persist mainly in Upper Mustang within the Kingdom of Lo, with its capital of the same name, Lo Mustang. This is the lost land of King Jigme Palbar Bista. But he, too, under the pressure of Nepal’s modern anti-monarchist policy, has actually lost his power, remaining a “symbol of the preservation of culture” of the kingdom.
It was previously an independent state for centuries, with Tibetan Buddhism as the state religion.
History of Buddhism in the Kingdom of Mustan G
The founder of Mustang, Ame Pal, was a famous warrior who proclaimed himself the king of a Buddhist state. There are different points of view on exactly when this happened: either around 1450 or 1380.
During its heyday, the territory of the Kingdom was much larger - it also occupied part of modern Tibet. In the XV-XVI centuries. the capital Lo Manthang was a city through which the trade route between India and Tibet passed, it was the second most important trading center in Tibet. The kingdom's wealth and political influence were based on trans-Himalayan trade. All the main cities and settlements of Mustang, as well as the ruined fortresses and villages, are located in a chain along this path. The valley was very fertile, large fat herds grazed on the pastures. Buddhist monasteries were built here, in which active life was in full swing, some of them have survived to this day, along with libraries where you can find rare copies of Buddhist texts.
Until the 18th century, the kingdom prospered, until in 1790 they entered into an alliance with Nepal in the war against Tibet. As a result, Nepal absorbed the Kingdom of Mustang, which became its administrative unit, ruled by its king, but as a representative of the king of Nepal.
After the Chinese takeover of Tibet in the mid-20th century, many Tibetans fled to Mustang, a land that had strong family and cultural ties to Tibet. And today there is a settlement of Tibetan refugees. But besides them, there were also partisans who carried out quite effective raids into Tibet from this territory. Unable to resist Chinese political pressure, the Nepalese government refused to support the partisans and access to Upper Mustang was completely closed in the early 50s. The kingdom's isolation continued until 1991.
It would be a mistake to consider Mustang as part of Tibet, which was included in the borders of Nepal. The kingdom gained its independence from Tibet in the mid-15th century and since then, despite a long period of wars, the transition to the control of Nepal in the 18th century, has not lost its statehood.
The basis of Mustang culture is religion, Tibetan Buddhism of the Sakya lineage. The Supreme Lama of Mustang - the head of the Sakya Buddhist tradition - Tashi Kencho Tansing. White Bon, a combination of shamanism and Buddhist traditions, has also become widespread in the Kingdom. Hence the widespread local customs of surrounding oneself with various shamanic attributes and honoring spirits.
Modernity:
The culture of Tibetan Buddhism, temples, and stupas have been preserved in Mustang. There are also traces of cave settlements where monks once lived. Tales of the land of Lo Mustang mention entire cavernous cities floating among steep cliffs. Some caves are still called “cliff houses”; they are considered inhabited and yogis live in them. It is very difficult to get here, surrounded by a lifeless Himalayan desert, which is called the “dead heart of Asia”. The valley of the Kali-Gandaki River cuts the Great Himalayan Range between the two highest peaks of the world - Annapurna and Daulagiri, each of which is higher than 8 thousand meters, the mountain peaks are located at a distance of 35 kilometers from each other. Flowing between these mountains, the river passes at an altitude of 2540 meters, forming the Kaligandak Gorge, which is the deepest in the world.
Mustang has not been a trade route for a long time, it is very deserted and living conditions are difficult, however, its inhabitants are very cheerful and optimistic people. The path to its capital - Lo Mantang - begins in Kagbeni - a city on the border of Upper Mustang, this is a kind of checkpoint before entering the land of the “forbidden kingdom”. This is where the influence of the Hindu culture of Nepal ends and the Tibetan world begins. The capital Lo Manthang is only 18 km from the border with Tibet.
Tibetan monasteries still exist here and vibrant Buddhist rituals and ceremonies are held here.
To get to the capital of Upper Mustang, even now you need to follow the same ancient salt path, along which salt was transported for centuries by loading it on yaks, and using the same vehicles as hundreds of years ago: hardy low-growing Himalayan horses, Tibetan bulls - yaks and with your own feet. This route along the bed of the Kali-Gandaki River was for several centuries the only reliable transport corridor from Tibet and China to Nepal and India.
Against the backdrop of majestic mountains, almost devoid of vegetation, traces of human activity appear as rare bright spots: stupas (chortens) painted red and ocher, white adobe walls of houses, red walls of monasteries. Red and ocher are those colors that are clearly visible at long distances. Even today, traveling from one village to another is not easy, especially in bad weather, so colored Stupas protect travelers so that they do not go astray and serve as guides for them on the road.
See also:
http://www.inkafilm.ru/view/?film_id=69 " target="_self" >Film in 5 episodes "The Forbidden Kingdom" 2003, Leonid Kruglov
To film in the Mustang Kingdom, especially if it is a religious ceremony, you must obtain a special permit. It is issued only in exceptional cases by the King of Mustang himself. In the film you can see both Bon and Buddhist ceremonies, for example Tiji, held every few years, similar to the Tibetan mystery Tsam, where lamas dance in masks. Part of the ceremony is the removal of a 15-meter image of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of tantric Buddhism in the Himalayan countries, on whose teachings the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism is completely based
Mustang Kingdom - a mysterious country of the Himalayas
4.4 (88%) 5 vote[s]The Mustang Kingdom is the most closed society in the world.Among the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, somewhere in the very depths of the mountains, the kingdom of Mustang, little known to many, is located. Even the echoes of civilization practically do not reach here, and only rare tourists bring some kind of diversity to this gloomy and remote world. This became possible only in 1991; before that time, the kingdom was closed to visitors.
Mustang Kingdom yesterday and today
Montang or Mustang is one of the administrative districts of Nepal. This small kingdom remains so in name only, since several years ago the king living in Upper Mustang agreed with the country's decision to abolish royal power, leaving it only in the form of a monument to history and ancient culture.
The monarch, although he lives on the territory of Mustang, no longer makes fateful decisions in the life of the country as before.
But even today, in order to enter the king’s possessions, his personal consent is required, which is not granted to all those who ask. In addition, in Nepal, when organizing an excursion, a state fee is charged from $500 to $1700.
Where is the closed kingdom of Mustang located?
The region is located in the upper reaches of the mountain river Kali-Gandaki at an altitude of 2500 m. The length of the kingdom is about 80 km, and its width is 45 km.
According to the population census, which was conducted 20 years ago, 9,000 people lived in the state, and 5,000 of them were in the capital of Mustang, the city of Jomsom.
Mustang is divided into Upper (Lo Kingdom) and Lower. There are a total of 30 settlements and 3 cities, inhabited mainly by Tibetans and Thakali.
Previously, the geographical position of the closed state allowed for active trade with neighboring China and Tibet, but after that a bypass route was built from Nepal, and the well-being of local residents decreased significantly. Now people live here very poorly, even in their understanding.
Upper Mustang
The forbidden kingdom of Mustang, whose colorful photos are mesmerizing, is located on a high-mountainous rocky plateau, indented by mountain streams. There is very little vegetation here, mostly bare rocks and desert. Local residents breed milk mules and horses; agriculture is very meager.
Time seems to flow slower in the Luo Kingdom than it actually does. Everything is different here - a different view of life and death, of family life, of wealth and poverty. Tourists who have visited here note unusual facts about the life of the local population:
Religious traditions. The local residents have preserved the faith of their ancestors - the Bon religion, which is organically intertwined with Buddhism.
Colored prayer flags are hung everywhere, prayer wheels sway in the wind, and prayer wheels spin. This is the only place on the Tibetan plateau that has managed to escape Chinese influence on its culture and way of life.
Family life. Nowhere on Earth will you see more matriarchy in action - local custom allows a woman to have several husbands: as a rule, brothers.
This is necessary in order not to divide the land belonging to the family among those who decide to get married. The entire land passes to another family completely, and so on from generation to generation.
National cuisine of Mustang. People here drink traditional salty tea with flour and butter and eat rice with a small amount of roots every day - that's all their meager diet.
Transport. Despite its remoteness from civilization, the forbidden kingdom of Mustang in Nepal has its own airport where planes land from Kathmandu and Pokhara. This path is the safest and fastest for tourists.
Lower Mustang
If the kingdom of Upper Mustang in Nepal is still little known to tourists, then the Lower one is quite visited. Getting here is much easier, since there is no need to overcome difficult mountain trails. The nature and wildlife of this corner of the country differs from the highland region - the vegetation here is much richer, the climate is milder and there are more opportunities for farming and cattle breeding.
Guest houses or guest houses with primitive living conditions, but quite sufficient to satisfy the need for shelter and food, are scattered everywhere.
Here, as in Upper Mustang, there are many churches and Buddhist shrines, the most famous of which is located in the authentic village of Kagbeni.
Almost the entire tourist route runs along the Kali-Gandaki River. Anyone who once went on a journey to the kingdom of Mustang will return from it a different person, with a renewed consciousness and a certain share of the Buddhist wisdom of the inhabitants of the mountains.
How to get to the forbidden kingdom?
On the map, the Kingdom of Mustang is located almost in the central part of Nepal with a shift towards Tibet. This location makes it a popular tourist route from the capital Kathmandu.
By SUV you can get from the capital of Nepal to Jomsom in 12 hours if you choose the Prithvi Hwy route, or in 16 hours if you take the other route - E-W Hwy/AH2 and Prithvi Hwy.
By plane, the journey will take much less time, provided that you are in the city of Pokhara - the center of Tibetan trekking. From here it is only 30 minutes by air to Jomsom.
- 2020 km²
Mustang is grouped around the Kali Gandaki River and its tributaries. Previously, a trade route between Tibet and India ran along this river, along which salt trade took place. In the Thak Kola area, the river runs along the bottom of a narrow gorge.
Currently, Mustang has lost its importance because the main route of communication between Nepal and Tibet began to run along the “Road of Friendship”, the valley has become impoverished and the small population is sometimes unable to feed itself. A significant part of the population of Mustang in certain seasons descends along the river down into the interior of Nepal.
The administrative center of the Mustang district is the city of Jomsom (population about 5 thousand (1998)), which has had an airport since 1962. Since 1970, many tourists have flocked to Jomsom.
Previously, Mustang was an independent kingdom linked by language and culture to Tibet. The dynasty continues to rule in the upper regions (Kingdom of Lo), and the capital of the royal domain is the city of Lo Manthang. The dynasty of kings (Raja, Gyelpo) of Mustang dates back to Ame Pal, currently in power is King Jigme Palbar Bista. The king's son has died tragically, and the continuation of the dynasty is in jeopardy.
Ame Pal, the founder of Mustang, was a military leader who proclaimed himself king of a Buddhist state around 1450 (other estimates say 1380). During its heyday, Mustang's territory was significantly larger; Mustang also occupied part of modern Tibet. In the 15th-16th centuries, Lo Manthang was on the main trade route between India and Tibet, and was considered almost the second most important trading center in Tibet. Salt trade passed through Mustang. The fields were very fertile and huge herds grazed on the pastures. The monasteries of Mustang were very active and still contain a large number of books.
In 1790, the kingdom entered into an alliance with Nepal in the war against Tibet, and was subsequently occupied by Nepal. Until 1951, the kingdom was a separate administrative unit ruled by its own king, who represented the King of Nepal.
From 1951 to 1960, foreigners were allowed to visit Mustang, but then entry was banned until 1991. During the 1960s and 1970s, Mustang was a stronghold of the Khampa guerrillas from Tibet who fought against the PRC authorities in Tibet. The rebels were supplied with weapons and food through American aviation, and CIA planes dropped bags from the air. After the Dalai Lama's appeal to stop the war, many Khampas gave up their weapons and settled in refugee camps in Nepal. Few continued the war “to the end.” The opening of the valley to tourism in 1991 by the Nepalese government was unexpected.
Tourism in the king's domain in upper Mustang is limited. Foreigners require special permission from Nepalese authorities and pay a fee.
After the abolition of the monarchy in Nepal on May 28, 2008, the new republican authorities demanded the abolition of royal power in Mustang. On October 8, 2008, King Jigma Palbar Bista was presented with (and accepted by him) the position of the Government of Nepal that the king would relinquish power while maintaining his role as a “symbol of cultural preservation, with due respect.”
The Kingdom of Mustang or Montang is one of the most mysterious places in Nepal. The name of the kingdom comes from the Tibetan "Mun Tan", which means "fertile plain". Tourists who have visited here remain forever fascinated by the breathtaking nature and incredible Tibetan flavor, practically untouched by civilization.
Mustang is the general name of the administrative region of Nepal. The region is located in the north-west of the country, in the upper part of the Kali Gandaki River, between the Nepalese provinces of Manang and Dolpo. In the south, the region begins from the village of Gasa and stretches to the northern border of Nepal, beyond which Chinese Tibet begins.
There used to be a busy trade route connecting India and Tibet here. Today, Mustang has lost its significance as a transshipment route, because the main communication load falls on the newer “Road of Friendship”.
The district is divided into two parts: Lower and Upper Mustang. The conditional border passes near the village of Kagbeni. The administrative center of the Mustang district is the city of Joms. It has its own airport, built in the mid-20th century. There are usually quite a lot of tourists in this city.
The local climate is quite dry. It rarely rains, because the mountains located around the kingdom hardly allow rain clouds to pass through. In the gorges along the bed of the Kali Gandaki River there is often a strong wind that subsides only at night. Sandstorms sometimes occur here. The storm usually hits in the afternoon, so if you're planning on hiking in Mustang, it's best to do it in the early afternoon.
The average altitude above sea level is 2.5 km or more. The length of the region from north to south is about 80 km, and the maximum width is 45 km.
The administrative boundaries of the Mustang district coincide with the boundaries of the previously independent kingdom. Today, the power of the monarch remains only in Upper Mustang, which is sometimes called the Kingdom of Luo. The capital of this country is the small town of Lo Manthang, located on a plateau high in the mountains. The city is very well protected from a geographical point of view. To get to the kingdom, you need to overcome stormy mountain rivers, steep passes, and deep gorges.
In total, Mustang has three cities and about thirty small villages. Today, about 8-9 thousand people live in them, mainly Tibetans and Thakali. Many local residents, in search of seasonal work, travel down the river inland, where they earn their living by working in the fields and factories of the Kathmandu Valley. Many of the natives are ministers of the Buddhist cult. The local temples preserve unique ancient manuscripts of historical and religious value.
Mustang used to be a kingdom independent from Nepal. This small country was closely connected with Tibet with its language and cultural traditions. The history of the royal dynasty of Mustang begins with the brave military leader Ame Pal, who around 1450 (according to other sources - in 1380) proclaimed himself the ruler of this country, achieving independence for it from Tibet.
The kingdom experienced ups and downs. The heyday occurred in the 15th and 16th centuries, when Lo Manthang was considered one of the largest shopping centers in the area. And now it is a town with a population of only a few thousand people... The territory of Mustang at that time was much larger and occupied part of modern Tibet.
The history of Buddhist temples dates back to those happy times. Temple libraries have always been famous for their rare books. Most of the ancient manuscripts have survived to this day. This is truly a unique heritage of human wisdom.
The decline of the Luo kingdom began during the war with Tibet. In 1790, the king entered into a strategic alliance with Nepal to fight its northern neighbor. Nepal subsequently absorbed the small kingdom, making it its own administrative unit. Monarchical power remained. But the king of Mustang henceforth acted as the representative of his overlord - the king of Nepal.
In the 60-70s of the 20th century. Mustang became a stronghold for the Khampas - rebels from Tibet fighting against the Chinese invaders. American planes dropped food, weapons, and ammunition for the partisans onto the territory of the kingdom. The rebels stocked up on everything they needed and returned to Chinese territory to fight the invaders.
Only an appeal from the Dalai Lama stopped the bloodshed. Many Khampas stopped fighting. Most of them settled in Nepal, in refugee camps. In 1991, the Nepalese authorities opened Mustang to tourists - this is a kind of sign that military battles have ended in the area and a period of calm has begun.
For a long time, this shrine of Buddhism was hidden from outsiders. Foreigners were allowed entry into Mustang for a short period: from 1951 to 1960. Then the kingdom became closed. Until 1991, it was possible to enter Mustang only with the permission of the King of Nepal and with the blessing of the Dalai Lama. Since October 1991, the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism has decided to open access to the Mustang Kingdom to tourists. But the group must be accompanied by an officer, and the number of visitors per year is limited.
To visit Lower Mustang you will need a permit costing about $30. Entry to Upper Mustang is possible with a special permit, for which you will have to pay $500. There are significantly fewer tourists in Upper Mustang, and this is not surprising, because not everyone can (or wants) to pay that amount for an entry permit. Although true admirers of Buddhist shrines or lovers of mysterious places will not regret the money spent on a trip to Upper Mustang.
Lower Mustang is famous for its magically beautiful landscapes. Even the most demanding tourists will not remain indifferent to the mountain panoramas, among which the peaks of Tilicho, Nilgiri, and Dhaulagiri stand out especially clearly; rocky slopes with small green terraces; the most beautiful sunrises.
The local color fascinates with its originality and originality. The dishes of the local cuisine are very tasty. And prices for accommodation, compared to other regions of Nepal, are very low.
Upper Mustang is a piece of mysterious Tibet. Since the country was cut off from the world for many years, the ancient Tibetan culture here has been preserved almost unchanged. On the mountain slopes you can still find the remains of cave settlements in which the monks of the Middle Ages hid from wars. History has preserved legends about entire cave cities lost high in the mountains.
Today, some caves remain inhabited. Usually Buddhist ascetic monks find shelter here.
Upper Mustang will be of interest to historians, archaeologists, ethnographers, followers of Buddha and simply curious people. Indeed, due to the isolation of the kingdom, very little is known about this area. The Kingdom of Lo is one of the most little-explored corners of our planet.
While in Mustang, it is worth looking at the Kali Gandaki River Gorge - this is the deepest gorge on the planet. It will also be interesting to see local religious ceremonies. Filming them is possible only with special permission from the authorities, so you won’t see anything like this either on the Internet or on TV.
The religion here is slightly different from traditional Buddhism. The local belief retains many features close to the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. This philosophy is a mystical system that links together man, natural forces and mysterious spirits.
The Bon religion is closely related to shamanism. In the houses of the local residents there are many talismans, symbols and other religious paraphernalia. Don’t be surprised if you see a human skull, a dead hare or a swastika on the roof or above the entrance to the house - these are elements of a cult, and not a sign of the bloodthirstiness of the local residents.
The people inhabiting the Kingdom of Mustang are very friendly and peaceful. Yes, they are afraid of demons, they believe that the soul is the same real organ as arms, legs or head, they bow to shamans, surround themselves with various symbols that are terrible for a European. But the natives treat visitors with constant respect and friendliness. A trip to the Kingdom of Mustang will leave an unforgettable experience. You will have a strong feeling that you have touched something mysterious, unknown, and therefore even more attractive.
