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Mustang Photo Gallery - Lo Manthang

In May 2008 I trekked from Jomsom to Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang for the Tiji Festival

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 01 First View The trail from Ghar Gompa (3940m) climbs to the highest point of the Mustang trek at around 4325m, before descending to Lo Manthang (3910m), a walled village that is the capital of the Kingdom of Lo in Upper Mustang. The road to Tibet is visible on the far side of the village.

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 01 First View

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 02-1 My Room We had trouble finding a place to stay in Lo Manthang, but a man invited us to stay at his house … for a fee of course. Here he is with my basic but ok room.

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 02-1 My Room

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 02-2 The Kitchen The crew slept downstairs in our simple accommodation in Lo Manthang. Here is their cooking area just below my room.

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 02-2 The Kitchen

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 03 View Towards The North Each morning I circumambulated Lo Manthang a couple of times. Here is a view northward from Lo Manthang towards Tibet.

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 03 View Towards The North

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 04 Chortens And Main Gate A few chortens stand in front of the main gate of Lo Manthang. Horses stand ready to carry tourists to outlying villages.

Mustang Lo Manthang 01 04 Chortens And Main Gate

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 01 Kings Palace And Roofs Of Lo Manthang From Jampa Gompa The first building after the main gate in Lo Manthang is the big tall white King's Palace, here viewed from Jampa Gompa.

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 01 Kings Palace And Roofs Of Lo Manthang From Jampa Gompa

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 02 Nepalese Guide Gyan Tamang In Front Of Kings Palace My guide Gyan Tamang poses in his new Tibetan hat in front of the King’s Palace in Lo Manthang. Cool.

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 02 Nepalese Guide Gyan Tamang In Front Of Kings Palace

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 03 Future King Jigme S. P. Bista And Jerome Ryan Jerome Ryan visited the Future King Jigme S. P. Bista, who was dressed casually in jeans, jacket, and baseball cap. As we sipped delicious lemon tea, he spoke to me in perfect English.

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 03 Future King Jigme S. P. Bista And Jerome Ryan

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 04 Future Kings Daughter And Beanie Baby I asked the Future King of Mustang if I could take a photo of his daughter with a beanie baby I had carried with me, and he called for her to come out. I spoke briefly to her and found out that as of 2008 she was 16 and just starting her A-levels in Kathmandu, where she lives with her father and 7-year old brother.

Mustang Lo Manthang 02 04 Future Kings Daughter And Beanie Baby

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 01 Chyodi Gompa Young Monks On my third morning in Lo Manthang I visited the courtyard of the Chyodi gompa. I saw a few young monks wearing the Tiji Festival plume hats heading for the Chyodi Gompa in Lo Manthang.

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 01 Chyodi Gompa Young Monks

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 02 Chyodi Monks Apartments, Old Gompa, And New Gompa The monastic quarter of Lo Manthang contains the monks’ quarters visible on the far left, the newer Chyodi gompa on the left and the older gompa assembly hall on the right. The American Himalayan Foundation has been working in Lo Manthang since it opened in 1992, and built the apartment complex for the monks, with each monk getting their own room with a bed, a Tibetan chair and a working table.

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 02 Chyodi Monks Apartments, Old Gompa, And New Gompa

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 03 Chyodi New Gompa Inside The newer Chyodi gompa contains dozens of beautifully crafted small bronze, brass and copper statues, many said to have been cast in Lo Manthang itself. A photo of the tenth Panchen Lama sits on the throne.

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 03 Chyodi New Gompa Inside

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 04 Chyodi Old Gompa Inside Next to the newer Chyodi gompa is the older one. Here is the inside of the older Chyodi assembly hall.

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 04 Chyodi Old Gompa Inside

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 05 Chyodi Old Gompa Painting Restoration The paintings in the older Chyodi assembly hall are slowly being repaired.

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 05 Chyodi Old Gompa Painting Restoration

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 06 Chyodi Gompa Lama Lodu Tenzin In His Apartment I was just sitting in the courtyard of Chyodi gompa waiting for the right conditions for a photo when an old Lama waved to me to come visit his room. Lama Lodu Tenzin showed me all his meager possessions at Chyodi Gompa in Lo Manthang - a few old thangkas, a begging bowl (although they don't beg here), a few old photos, and so on. The Lama smiled all the time with two big fangs and lots of gum. He gave me a kata and I promised to send him the photos I took of him. I recognized him because he sits at the head table with 11 other senior monks at the Tiji Festival.

Mustang Lo Manthang 03 06 Chyodi Gompa Lama Lodu Tenzin In His Apartment

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 01 Jampa Gompa Outside The three-storey Jampa Lhakhang in Lo Manthang was built in 1447-48. Whereas Thubchen Dukhang is an assembly hall used for formal worship, Jampa Lhakhang is a chapel used for meditation.

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 01 Jampa Gompa Outside

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 02 Jampa Gompa Main Floor Large Statue Of Jampa Maitreya The main second floor of the Jampa Lhakhang in Lo Manthang features a large statue of Maitreya and many elaborate wall paintings of mandalas that embody mystical tantric teachings.

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 02 Jampa Gompa Main Floor Large Statue Of Jampa Maitreya

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 03 Jampa Gompa Main Floor Large Statue Of Jampa Maitreya The central feature of the three-story Jampa Lhakhang in Lo Manthang is an enormous 15m gilded clay statue of an enthroned Jampa (Maitreya), the Future Buddha. In the light from the open door, the huge golden figure glows softly. The body and crowned head of the statue rise into the lhakhang, the second or middle floor, where they are covered with a full ceiling overhead. The base of Jampa's throne is set into a smaller room at the level of the courtyard. The paintings on this first floor are being restored as of 2008.

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 03 Jampa Gompa Main Floor Large Statue Of Jampa Maitreya

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-1 Jampa Gompa Upper Floor There are 28 mandalas in a single register on the upper floor of the Jampa Lhakhang in Lo Manthang. There are seven mandalas on the east wall, seven on the south wall, four on the north wall, and ten on the west wall. Below the mandalas are groups of small roundels.

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-1 Jampa Gompa Upper Floor

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-2 Jampa Gompa Dakini Mandala A mandala, or circle, is a representation of the Buddhist universe. These cosmograms represent in symbolic color, line, and geometric forms, all realms of existence and are used in Tantric meditation and initiation rites. The creation of a mandala, considered a consecrated area, is believed to benefit all beings. Dakinis dance and leap into the air performing acrobatic feats in a mandala on the upper floor of Jampa Lhakhang in Lo Manthang.

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-2 Jampa Gompa Dakini Mandala

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-2 Jampa Gompa Yamantaka Mandala Yamantaka is the ferocious emanation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom. He conquered the lord of death Yama by literally scaring Yama to death. The meditator hopes to develop a sense of identity strong enough to face down fear of death. Yamantaka has nine heads, the main one a bull; between the horns is a terrible red head and above is the head of Manjushri. Each of his 34 arms holds a symbolic implement, with his two main arms holding a skull and a chopper.

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-2 Jampa Gompa Yamantaka Mandala

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-3 Jampa Gompa Mandalas The third story of Jampa Lhakhang is painted with a single row of 28 mandalas, all of them tantric, with couples in yab-yum in the centre of each. Between the mandalas are smaller vignettes depicting yi-dams, singly and in yab-yum, and minor beings.

Mustang Lo Manthang 04 04-3 Jampa Gompa Mandalas


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