A gate on the road between Lo and the south
Kagbeni's position made it important for as long as people have travelled this valley. Every caravan going between Lo and the southern Kali Gandaki, and every pilgrim heading to Muktinath, passed through here. The village name is often explained as 'kag', a blockage or checkpoint, and 'beni', the Nepali word for a river confluence. For centuries it was a fortified village, with its houses packed defensively around the khar and its lanes easy to close off. Walking into it today, you can still see that design.
In the 15th century Kagbeni lay within the sphere of the kingdom of Lo, founded by Ame Pal in the late 14th century. Kag Chode Thupten Samphel Ling, the Sakya gompa that still dominates the village, is traditionally dated to 1429. Its monks once served the whole surrounding area of Baragaun, the 'twelve villages' between Kagbeni and Muktinath. The khar beside it, now partly ruined, housed the local rulers who controlled the crossroads and taxed the trade that passed through.
Today Kagbeni sits in Baragaun Muktikshetra rural municipality, with a population of just over 500 at the 2011 census. Life still runs on barley, buckwheat and apples, now joined by tourism. Since Upper Mustang opened to foreigners in 1992, Kagbeni has been the point where trekkers show their restricted area permits. The jeep road north to Lo Manthang runs past the village, but the lanes inside are still too narrow for anything wider than a horse. Evenings, when the jeeps stop, it is very quiet.
