Jomsom is a small town in the upper Kaligandaki valley in Nepal, at an altitude of 2770 m.Jomsom is the capital of the Mustang district and lies on the Annapurna Circuit .An excursion around Jomsom situated on the bank of Kali Gandaki River dominated by massive Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri peaks gives a truly rewarding experience of a lifetime. The Kaligandaki River is older than the Himalayas and its gorge is the world's deepest gorge.Jomsom is more correctly known as Dzongsam or New Fort. It is the only area offering green landscapes, high mountains, turquoise lake, holy temples, monasteries and roaring rivers. From here one can enjoy the views of the Nilgiri peaks as well as Dhaulagiri, the sixth highest mountain in the world. The towering peaks of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri form an attractive backdrop. The views are enchanting as the Nilgiri (7,061 m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167m) ranges reflect the golden rays of the rising and setting sun. The entire panorama is filled with a golden, glittering light, which forms a dramatic contra.
 Being the district headquarters, it is primarily an administrative and commercial center with government officials and merchants rubbing shoulders with the local inhabitants of the region, known as Thakalis. A training unit of Alpine troops of the Nepalese army is likewise stationed there.

 Life here is a balance of hard work, and ancient culture. Many visitors find their most lasting impression of Nepal comes not from the ancient temples in the urban valleys but from visits to places like Jomsom and its exhilarating spiritual environment. Jomsom area is not only the most popular trekking destination in Nepal but also the gateway to Upper Mustang - "Kingdom" within the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal. Jomsom is also the gateway to The Muktinath shrine that holds great religious significance to both Buddhists and Hindus. Muktinath is the most popular site in Jomsom. Visiting this sacred site, one will able to grasp a complete picture of Buddhist and Hindu religious, culture, tradition and custom of local people.

Mustang:

Mustang region is also known as the Forbidden Kingdom. Mustang has a long, rich and complex history that makes it one of the most interesting parts of Nepal. Mustang region lies in the western Nepal and is officially the name of the district and it has Tibet like region. It is located along the banks of the Kali Gandaki River. It is divided into two parts namely the Lower Mustang and the Upper Mustang.

Lower Mustang:

Jomsom, the dazzling place, is in the lower Mustang and the major part is the upper Mustang River. Lower Mustang covers the part of lower valley along the Kali Gandaki River. Jomsom is the gateway to Upper Mustang and is also the gateway to The Muktinath shrine. Traveling to Jomsom will take you down to the memory lane of ancient kingdom of Mustang.

Upper Mustang:

It is an ancient Himalayan Kingdom behind the mountains. Upper Mustang consists of two distinct regions the southern region with five villages inhabited by people related to the Manangis and the northern region (the ancient kingdom of Lo) where the language culture and traditions are almost purely .The house and temple are constructed of stone and mostly mud bricks that are sun baked in all over the region.
The region is geographically and culturally part of Tibet and has a long rich and complex history, thus offering the natural, beautiful desert landscape, monasteries and crumbling castles,  the villages with multi -storied houses,  Lho-Monthang, the walled capital of this kingdom and life styles unaffected by the outside modern world.

Muktinath:

Muktinath, a sacred place both for Hindu as well as Buddhist, is located at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass (part of the Himalayas), Mustang district, Kingdom of Nepal.. The Hindus call the place Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "place of salvation", while Buddhists call it Valley Chumming Gyatsa (in Tibetan language it means the place of 108 waterspouts).
In Muktinath there is a rock fissure, from which water and natural gas is pouring. The gas burns in a very tiny flame, but there is natural combination of all four elements earth, water, air and fire at one spot. Because of this, pilgrims are coming over 3000years to this holy place. .

Muktinath Temple:

The famous temple of Muktinath lies in the district of Mustang and is situated 48 km north east of Jomsom at an altitude of about 3749 meters. The temple is situated on a high mountain range and is visited during fair weather. Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu Temple of God Vishnu.It is the most prominent shrine Vishnu temples with 108 spouts, fashioned in the shape of cows’ heads, pour forth water that is considered to be holy. This water is channeled from a stream running above the temple. The temple is built in Tibetan style and contains huge brass idols of Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, and Kali.
 
 During the festival of Janai Purnima, Hindu devotees gather here to pay homage to lord Muktinath. The visitors get lodging facilities at Dharmasala and Maharani Pouwa. There are two temples of note, a dilapidated temple with the idols of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, and a Narsingh temple where rituals are performed according to both Hindu and Buddhist customs There is also a Buddhist gompa (monastery), and a pagoda-type temple dedicated to Jwala Mai (goddess of fire) is situated about hundred meters south of Muktinath.

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