The Other Tibet
The Other Tibet
The Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang is one of the most unexplored of the Tibetan Buddhist world. Mustang is in the northern region of Nepal and a part of Tibet that is untouched by the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
According to the Dalai Lama, the kingdom 'is one of the few places in the Himalayan region that has been able to retain its traditional Tibetan culture unmolested'.
The Tibetans of Upper Mustang hold Nepali citizenships but they still speak Tibetan dialect and practice Tibetan Buddhism. Their cultural heritage is still very well preserved.
My trip there began in October 2011. I moved to live in Kathmandu a few months before and hadn't seen much of the country. Still, Mustang didn’t feel like the rest of Nepal. I arrived right at the end of the tourist season when locals migrate to either India or other parts of Nepal to escape the winter months. I found people descending from Upper Mustang on horses or walking long distances packed with goods to return to their houses in the city or spend some time with relatives.
In interviewing many interesting people along the way, I began work on a feature story on how the women of Mustang help sustain Tibetan customs and beliefs.
The Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang is one of the most unexplored of the Tibetan Buddhist world. Mustang is in the northern region of Nepal and a part of Tibet that is untouched by the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
According to the Dalai Lama, the kingdom 'is one of the few places in the Himalayan region that has been able to retain its traditional Tibetan culture unmolested'.
The Tibetans of Upper Mustang hold Nepali citizenships but they still speak Tibetan dialect and practice Tibetan Buddhism. Their cultural heritage is still very well preserved.
My trip there began in October 2011. I moved to live in Kathmandu a few months before and hadn't seen much of the country. Still, Mustang didn’t feel like the rest of Nepal. I arrived right at the end of the tourist season when locals migrate to either India or other parts of Nepal to escape the winter months. I found people descending from Upper Mustang on horses or walking long distances packed with goods to return to their houses in the city or spend some time with relatives.
In interviewing many interesting people along the way, I began work on a feature story on how the women of Mustang help sustain Tibetan customs and beliefs.