Mustang which formally called Kingdom of Lo, is the remote and isolated region of the nepalese Himalayas.Mustang is in the north-central part of our country(Nepal) between Dolpo and Manang. Mustang means fertile plain from the Tibetan word Mun Tan. The upper mustang region is known as the Last forbidden Kingdom as the region was restricted to tourists even till 1991 when the government of Nepal finally opened all parts of Nepal for tourism.
Lo-Manthang- a walled city is the capital of mustang situated at an elevation of nearly 3800 meters.It lies in the central part of the northern Nepal and top of the Kaligandaki River.The entire region is famous for its inacceable caves,chortens, monasteries and arid desert like conditions.Hidden behind the majestic Himalayan ranges, mustang is a truly beautiful trek zone.Special Trekking Permits are required by trekkers when you visit this region.
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. At the end of the 18th century the kingdom was annexed by Nepal and became a dependency of the Kingdom of Nepal since 1795.
Though still recognized by many Mustang residents, the monarchy ceased to exist on October 7, 2008, by order of the Government of Nepal.The last official and later unofficial king (raja or gyelpo) was Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista (1930–2016),who traced his lineage directly back to Ame Pal, the warrior who founded this Buddhist kingdom in 1380.Ame Pal oversaw the founding and building of much of the Lo and Mustang capital of Lo Manthang, a walled city surprisingly little changed in appearance from that time period.In 2007, a shepherd in Mustang discovered a collection of 55 cave paintings depicting the life of the Buddha.
