Soon after the Tihar festival ended with Bhai Tika, Mustang experienced an unexpected flood of visitors, creating major challenges for local authorities and businesses. Like a sudden monsoon swell, thousands of domestic tourists poured into the trans-Himalayan district, overwhelming hotels and roads.
While Mustang usually draws visitors during Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath, this year’s crowd was far beyond expectations. Many had assumed tourism would remain slow due to protests and unpredictable weather, but the opposite happened—by Friday, the district was packed.