A large settlement surrounded by a huge wall made of stone and mud and a beautiful palace in the middle of the settlement. The Lomanthang royal palace in Mustang was once very powerful and a center of faith for the people of that region. The same power center has become not only weak but also devoid of people.
The palace guarded by soldiers 600 years ago now seems to be guarded by a Bhotekukur. When you see the dog barking at those who come near the palace, you think that the same dog is guarding the palace. Built in the 15th century with clay, stone and wood, this palace is called Tassi Dhyafel Palace by the locals. Which means the lucky palace.
At that time, the first king Amepal built a wall nine meters high and 563 meters long to avoid external attacks. Durbar evening open all day It was closed after midnight. Inside this closed wall, people's houses, monasteries and a grand palace made of mud in the middle can still be seen. It is said that there were 160 houses inside the walls at that time.
At that time, there were ministries near the palace for running the state. Their responsibilities were shared. Even now, the building of that ministry can be seen in Lomanthang. At that time, it was customary to build houses only inside the walls, at that time it was thought that if houses were built outside the walls, the king would be attacked by enemies, but after the republic came to the country, settlements are expanding outside the walls as well. As the settlements are moving away from the palace, the maintenance of the palace has also decreased. This has left the palace isolated.
Because the palace is made of clay, some people call it the city of clay. This palace of historical and archeological importance is currently waiting for conservation, development and publicity, but the locals complain that no support has been received from the state level for the preservation of the palace. Locals have said that the concern that its importance will decrease due to the lack of protection and development.
According to Tasinharvu Gurung, Chairman of Lomanthang Rural Municipality, even though the republic has come to the country, the locals here respect the royal family of Lomanthang with the same respect, so many locals do not even want to go to the palace. As the movement of people decreases, the risk of the palace becoming dilapidated has increased.
In the past, after the earthquake, outsiders were forbidden to enter the palace, so many people could not know what the situation is like inside. The last king Jigmee Palwar Beast is still being respected by people. They consider the beast to be the king, not the former king.
'Lomanthang Palace is connected with the history of this place, if this palace of historical and archeological importance can be preserved and developed as a tourist destination, I think that the standard of living here can be raised, there is no alternative to bring tourists to increase the economic activity here,' said Chairman Gurung.
Lomanthang was once a center of economic activity. This place in the west of Tibet was also an economic center during the trade from India to Tibet. Because of that influence, the king here was considered powerful.
'Until 1380, Lomanthang was known as an independent state, but when the salt trade route closed and the cultural movement in Tibet began, trade dried up. Due to its effect, the economic situation here weakened. Many years later, when Prithvi Narayan Shah started to unify Nepal, the king of this place sent an envoy to express his solidarity with the unification. It is a history that it was merged into Nepal," said Karma Wangel, an intellectual from Lomanthang.
He says that if foreign tourists can be brought to Lomanthang, which is important from a historical and tourist point of view, it will develop here. According to Wangel, if the current strict rules for foreign tourists can be relaxed, the region can benefit greatly from tourism.
According to him, even now 21 families are living in the palace premises. The remaining families have migrated from there.
Karchunglyamo Gurung, the manager of Mistak Hotel near Darbar, also agrees with Wangel's statement. This area can benefit if necessary publicity, budget allocation for palace protection and easy policy can be made to bring foreign tourists,' she said.
Lomanthang has a total of five wards and has a population of around 2,000. Surrounded by mud walls on all sides, this settlement is in the lap of dry hills. Basti is as attractive as it is with natural beauty, it is rich in cultural heritage. Lomanthang is characterized by palaces, monasteries, cultural kings, chieftains, customs and lifestyles similar to Tibetan culture.
Lomanthang, at an altitude of 3,880 meters above sea level, is also the entry point of Upper Mustang. Here there is a 'Siza Zhong' carved out of a hill of mud more than two thousand years ago. According to Gurung, chairman of the village, there are at least 60 small and big rooms inside the cave.
"Any tourist who comes here does not return without seeing the cave once", he said, "Lomanthang, which has great potential from a historical and tourist point of view, has not been able to benefit from it."
The 26th king still resides in this region between the Nilgiris and Dhaulagiri glaciers. President Gurung believes that this area is a very important destination for those interested in history and religion for various reasons.
Lomanthang is the center of thousands of years old Tibetan and Buddhist culture. That history can be seen in the monasteries, palaces and old paintings here. The Rajmahal and the monasteries of Jhampa, Thubchen, Chode and Chopla here are special from a religious and artistic point of view. Geographically, Lomanthang is a dry land. From here you can see Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountains.
Lomanthang has majestic monasteries, thousands of years old murals, sculptures and Buddhist scriptures. For tourists coming here, the historical palace of the kings of the 'Low State' is becoming a center of attraction. If attention could be paid to its protection, promotion and development, it could become a center of choice for domestic and foreign tourists. They demand that proper attention should be paid to it as not only the local people but also the state will benefit from it.
