Mustang Region

Mustang is an area inhabited by the Buddhists of Tibet. Old kingdom of Lo is Mustang. Jomson is the actual capital of Mustang region but this Tibetan style district's the real place of interest is Upper Mustang. This is situated at the northern side of Kagbeni. The capital of Upper Mustang is Lo Manthang, where there is still a king who lives in a fantastic square-walled town on the lap of the ‘Plain of Prayers’.  This small kingdom within a democratic republic nation was closed to the outsiders until 1992 AD. It is an enchanting land of red walled monasteries, feudal towns and windswept vistas. This tiny kingdom of Mustang was a major trade corridor from the early 1400’s to the era before Chinese occupation of Tibet. Also it was a crucial landmark for the early Buddhism in Tibet. Legends say there was a great funder of Tibetan Buddhism named Padmasambhava  who before the oldest monastery Samye was built in Tibet came to Mustang and stood guard against the evil that wanted to destroy Buddhism from the roots. He then built the temple of Lo Gekhar in the eastern part of Mustang which was a token of his victorious battle. This temple still stands guard until this day.