This is a humble looking temple which is
set amidst the barren yet charming landscape in Nepal. It is a true
representation of the peace and the deep bond that’s shared between two of the
most widely acclaimed religions in the world, Hinduism and Buddhism. The name
literally translates into ‘The lord of salvation’ which his accolade to Vishnuji
making it an important pilgrimage destination for Vaishnavites. This place also
attracts a lot of spiritual and religious crowd from its nearby South Asian
neighbours. Everybody, if given a chance, should definitely pay a visit to this
temple just to experience its unique serenity. This place can be visited
throughout the year and is one of the most interesting places to experience
deep and pure spirituality.
Known as being the ‘temple of eternal flame, this temple is situated within the Dhola Mebar Gompa which is built in Tibetan style of architecture. The structure of this temple is erected on top of an underground water stream along with the presence of natural gas that jets its way up producing a continuous flame. This holy flame is the perfect representation of all the elements of the earth existing together in harmony i.e. fire, water, earth and air.
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| Muktinath Temple, Nepal |
About
Within the spectrum of Hinduism the
region around this temple is also known as ‘Mukti Kshetra’ or literally
translating into ‘place of liberation’ and is also a significant 1 out of the
108 divya desam which is believed to have self-manifested making it the eternal
home of Vishnuji. The ancient name for this temple has found its mention in the
holy vaishnav literature which was way before the origin of Buddhism, where it
is called Thiru Saligramam. The Buddhist refers to this temple as Chumig Gyatsa
which translates into ‘hundred waters’ in Tibetan.
Location
Located in the valley of Muktinath on an
elevation of 3,710 metres above sea level on the foot hills of the Thorong La Mountain
Pass win the Mustang region of Nepal, this temple is situated in extremely
close proximity to the village of Ranipauwa which, under the circumstances,
gets confused with Muktinath temple quiet often. It is surrounded by impeccable
views of the snowcapped mountain peaks of Annapurna ranges on all sides and
makes your journey extremely spiritual. Its location is relatively remote and
requires the pilgrims to cover a simple trekking route of Jomsom (the last road
head) to Muktinath which takes almost 6 hours to cover.
Getting There
The accessibility to the temple is
extremely difficult due to its remote location and harsh weather conditions in
Mustang where the temple is located. Tourists and visitors have the option of
choosing from helicopter services to Muktinath (which takes 45 mins. for one
side) or jeep services. From Jomsom airport you can choose between trekking
your way to the temple or hiring another jeep service to Muktinath.
By
Road – you will have the option of choosing
from various services like buses, cabs, private cars, shared jeeps etc. you
will be required to carve out at least 3 days to a week complete this journey
depending on your plans. Your driving will commence from Kathmandu and go on
till Pokhara where you will be covering a distance of 206 km in 6 hours. From
Pokhara you will be driven to Jomsom via Beni, Tatopani, ghasa and Marpha and it
will take another 9 hours to cover so it is advised for you to spend your night
in Pohara. The next day you will be able to reach Muktinath temple and complete
your darshan.
By
Helicopter – Muktinath Darshan by helicopter is
the most comfortable and smooth ways of getting to the temple. This will allow
you to complete the journey within a duration of just 1.5 hours from the
airport at Kathmandu. After completing your puja rituals you will have the
choice between returning back to Pokhara or Kathmandu. Keep in mind that no
helicopter services ply on a regular basis from Kathmandu and Pokhara so you
will be required to gather 5 or 6 people to go on this journey and divide the Muktinath
tour package cost.
By
Road and Helicopter – In order to properly
avail a proper helicopter tour package to Muktinath experience then it is
advised for you to share it with 5 to 6 other passengers since it will be extremely
expensive if you decide to charter it. If you choose this option then you will
be driven to Pokhara from Kathmandu which will take almost 6 hours to cover. Here
you will be spending the night and the next day you will be boarding your
helicopter to Jomsom which is a journey of just 15 to 20 minutes. You will then
be required to hike up to the jeep station where you will be hiring a vehicle
to Muktinath which will be a journey of another 1.5 hour. The jeep will drop
you off at a distance of half hour which can be easily covered by hiking your
way up. You will also be given the option of covering the trekking distance on
a horse for ease of accessibility.
Travel Permits Required
Prior to commencing your journey to Muktinath from Pokhara via a road journey you will be required to carry two
important permits which are:
- Annapurna conservative area project permit or ACAP – this permit can be collected from the Nepal tourism board which is located in Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu or Pokhara.
- Trekker’s information management system permit or TIMS – it can be collected from TAAN which is situated in Saatghumti, Thamel and Mali Gaun.
NOTE:
Carry along 4 passport size photos along with a copy of your passport for
collecting these permits.
Best Time to Visit
The climate of Nepal varies and differs
with its varied topography as well as the altitude ranging from tropical to
even arctic. The months of September, October and November are considered to be
the best months for you to visit this temple since during this time the weather
is not too cold or not too warm. This post monsoon weather offers pollution and
dust free environment for you to explore not just Muktinath but some
sightseeing and tourist destinations in nearby regions as well. This is also
the peak visitation time for not only people on their pilgrimages but also for
avid trekkers.
Summer months of June, July and August
are also considered to be an ideal time to visit the rain shadow areas of
Mustang. This is also an ideal time for researchers, botanists and other people
involved in forest research work to visit and get some meaningful work done. However
visiting Muktinath temple during this time may be problematic due to random
landslides and unexpected bad weather conditions.
Darshan
Timings
7:00 am – 12 noon; 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Temple History
There are several mentions of this
temple present in ancient Hindu Vaishnav books where it has been said that
Vishnu ji had received his salvation from the wife of jalandhar, Brinda at this
very place. It also a popular belief that the great Tibetan Buddhist Guru
Rinpoche had meditated at this location on his journey to Tibet making it
incredibly pious among both Hindus as well as Buddhists. Although the history
of this ancient temple dates to ages ago the temple was deemed as a Vishnu
temple by 19th century.
Significance
The temple plays a pivotal role in
granting moksha to the Hindu pilgrims who make their way to this ancient shrine
seeking moksha. In an attempt to do so, the yatris make their way to the outer
courtyard of the temple which is rectangular in shape and surrounded by high
walls. These walls contain 108 water ways signifying the number of divya desams
worshipped by Vaishnavites, through which the holy water flows. This water is
also freezing cold and pilgrims make 3 Parikramas under this water and gain
their moksha. Situated within its premises is an old Buddhist temple as well
which gathers a large number of Buddhist crowd. Even if you are not a spiritual
individual the sense of spirituality here amongst the great Annapurna is
unparalleled and should definitely be experienced at least once in their life.
Accommodation Facilities
The immediate surroundings of Muktinath
has no stay options however you will be required to go to Ranipauwa first to
select the accommodation of your choice. Accommodation facilities around
Muktinath depend completely on your budget. You can find lodges to as cheap as
Rs.700/- per night or even as high as Rs. 5,500/- per night. However, the best
option would be for you to stay in a hotel which is genuinely priced and offers
some of the most needed and basic amenities such as running hot water in the
bathroom, proximity to the temple, parking facility, warm and comfortable
bedding etc. a number of pilgrims decide to stay at Jomsom since from here the
temple distance is for just a few hours by trekking.
For food facilities can be found easily
in some nearby restaurants, cafes or other eating joints. Generally the place
where you will be staying, especially in Jomsom, the menu will be quiet
wholesome and full of both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes.
Nearby Places to Visit
Jwala
Mai Temple
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| Jwala Mai Temple of Muktinath [source] |
Known as being the ‘temple of eternal flame, this temple is situated within the Dhola Mebar Gompa which is built in Tibetan style of architecture. The structure of this temple is erected on top of an underground water stream along with the presence of natural gas that jets its way up producing a continuous flame. This holy flame is the perfect representation of all the elements of the earth existing together in harmony i.e. fire, water, earth and air.
Swaminarayan
Mandir
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| Swaminarayan Mandir, Muktinath |
As the name suggests this temple is dedicated
to lord Shri Swaminarayan, powerful Hindu spiritual leader who is also credited
with the creation of Sabij Yoga. This holy temple has links to Muktinath temple
which is situated at a road journey distance of just 1 hour or so. During his
journey towards divinity Shri Swaminarayan had practiced devout and strict
sacrament here in Muktinath for a duration of almost 2.5 months. It was here
where he was achieved his highest level of aptitude in Nishkamrat.
Thorong
La
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| Thorong La Pass |
This mountain pass rises up to an
elevation of 5,416 metres above sea level and is situated on a trail connecting
the village of Manang to the temple of Muktinath. This place is also the
highest point on the circuit of Annapurna route which is frequented not only by
the trekkers and outdoor sports enthusiasts but also by traders travelling to
and fro. This is a relatively difficult trek to make since it does not give the
trekkers enough time to acclimatize to the high altitude climatic conditions.
Here you will see colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind and adding on to
the beauty of its natural surroundings.
Tilicho
Lake
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| Tilicho Lake, Nepal |
From Pokhara this pristine high altitude
lake is situated at a distance of 55 kms and falls within the range of
Annapurna Himalayas. According to the Nepali department of hydrology and
meteorology, there is no aquatic life inside the water of this lake and is one
of the most popular additional hike which people take during the Annapurna
circuit trek. It is also popular as a high altitude scuba diving option. Camping
is not required while visiting this lake since there a number of lodges and
stay options constructed.
What to Expect
- During your trekking journey from Jomsom to the temple you will be encountering a number of people making their journey back to going towards Annapurna base camp.
- Do not expect good road conditions since due to its remote location and unexpected bad weather conditions the road trails here are extremely dusty and sandy. There are parts of the road which are really smooth and well-made and offer a great driving experience.
- Cycling is also a good option for making your way to the temple since it will also add a hint of adventure to your plans.
- You will be making your way entirely amongst the barren brown undulating mountain which seems like a landscape straight out of Leh Ladakh.
- There are small / tiny souvenir shops that line the routes and from here you can also buy something to take back home as a memorabilia.
- The main entrance of the temple can be reached after climbing some cemented stairs that lead up to the temple.
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