Last ruler of remote Buddhist kingdom dies in Nepal


Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista gives an interview to AFP in Kathmandu in 2007. - AFP

Kathmandu (AFP) - The last king of the isolated Himalayan region of Upper Mustang died Friday in Kathmandu, eight years after he lost his royal title when the centuries-old Buddhist monarchy was abolished.

Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista, who was 86, reigned over the arid kingdom high on the Tibetan plateau for more than half a century before stepping down in 2008 when Nepal abolished its own monarchy.

Play, subscribe and stand a chance to win prizes worth over RM39,000! T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 11.12/month

Billed as RM 11.12 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 9.87/month

Billed as RM 118.40 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Regional

Why China’s humanoid robots are still waiting for their ‘ChatGPT moment’
Singapore turns tide in evolving fight against scams
Africa emerges as new arena in US-China competition over artificial intelligence
China’s parents are outsourcing the homework grind to AI
Where are China’s AI doomers?
China's overstretched healthcare looks to AI boom
Smaller, faster, smarter: Chinese transistor ready for future AI chips
Jimmy Lai to be sentenced on Monday in Hong Kong national security trial
Chinese AI firms defend safety practices, push back on Western criticism
Chinese AI goes next level in geometry at a top US maths Olympiad

Others Also Read