HISTORY

The Nyeshang people who inhabit the valleys in Manang originated in Tibet. The Nyeshangte are believed to have migrated from the ancient Kingdom of Shang Shung in ancient Tibet, their name meaning ‘we of Shang’. In upper Manang, they are still known as Nyeshangte, a Tibetan Buddhist group speaking Tibeto-Burman language quite distinct from Indo-European Nepali.

The two dominant groups are still Gurung and Ghale. In lower Manang people describe themselves as Gurung, Lama or Ghale.

These people are decendants of the earliest migrants who mingled with other ethnic, lingual and cultural groups from the south. Both upper and lower Manang feature a fascinating blend of ethnicity, Bon, Buddhist and Hindu religions co-existing harmoniously with each other and with their environment.