MUSTANG: A record 6,859 tourists entered Mustang in a single day on Friday, the first day after Bhai Tika, according to the District Police Office.

The visitors—6,506 domestic and 353 foreign—arrived via the Beni–Jomsom Highway, which remained packed with vehicles throughout the day.

From October 18 to 24, Mustang received 20,509 tourists and 6,736 vehicles, showing a post-festival tourism surge.

From mid-July to mid-October, total arrivals reached 118,589, including over 27,000 foreigners.

The Muktinath Temple area has been overflowing with pilgrims. Security and medical teams have been mobilized, with CCTV cameras installed for crowd management.

Police reported traffic congestion as hotels from Ghansa to Muktinath struggled to accommodate visitors.

With improved road access and long festival holidays, Mustang is emerging as a top destination for domestic and returning Nepali tourists.