Places to Visit In and Around Muktinath Dham

The most renowned Muktinath Dham is a very vital as well as a holy place for both Hindu as well as Buddhist pilgrims. The pilgrimage destination comes within Nepal’s Mustang district in the valley of Muktinath and is perched at an elevation of approx. 3800m above sea level. The region bears a unique 3 tiered pagoda-type temple. This temple is nestled at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain pass known by the name of Thorong La. High snow-wrapped peaks paint the backdrop of the shrine which lies amid a thicket of trees. There are many tourist attractions in Muktinath and nearby.

The main temple enshrines a Shaligram of Lord Vishnu looked upon with great reverence by the Hindu pilgrims. Also, Buddhists consider the deity as a sacred one and name it Avalokiteshvara; i.e. the Lord of Compassion. In other words, the Muktinath Dham pilgrimage destination symbolizes the ideal paradigm of age-old spiritual wisdom spanning between Hinduism and Buddhism. The pilgrimage site exhibits a unique coexistence of numerous other Hindu temples dedicated to deities like Ganesha, Shiva, etc, and numerous Buddhist Chortens and prayer wheels. According to historical records towards the beginning of the 19th century, a Nepal queen had taken the initiative of setting up the Muktinath Dham shrine. A visit to Muktinath is believed to bring one Mukti or salvation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Tourists and pilgrims to Muktinath should not miss some of the most notable tourist attractions as listed below-

1. The Kundas

Just in front of the temple of Muktinath, there are two ponds or Kundas. Lakshmi Kunda and Saraswati Kunda are the two holy ponds. The waters of these Kundas are considered extremely holy and a dip in these waters is believed to absolve one’s Karmic sins.

2. Gomba Samba

This is a relatively new monastery in terms of its age. This monastery falls to the left-hand side of Muktinath temple’s entrance gate and also enshrines the much-revered images of Guru Rinpoche, Chingresig, and Sakyamuni.

3. Kali Gandaki River

Once you are at Muktinath Dham, make sure to visit River Kali Gandaki. The river is ancient and also its waters are considered sacred enough to wash away one’s sins. Jurassic Era’s fossil fuels are found in the river bed of Kali Gandaki. And that has called forth the interest of many scientists and anthropologists. It is said that if you look for fossils in the waters of the river you may lay your hands upon one if you are really lucky or else you may keep searching for hours without any positive results. If you get hold of a black stone Fossil called the ‘Shaligram’ you are believed to have been blessed by God. According to common Hindu religious beliefs, the Shaligram stone is a sacred one as it denotes ‘Lord Vishnu’. One who finds that fossil has to honor it by placing it in his/her puja room.

4. Swaminarayan Monument

Sabji Yoga order’s revered saint and Satguru is Lord Swaminarayan. The Sabji Yoga order runs on the philosophy of service to the supreme Lord. Towards the end of the 18th century, Lord Swaminarayan chose Muktinath Dham as his venue for rigorous penance. As a result, he attained great divine proficiency in the Nishkam. In the year 2003, the disciples of Lord Swaminarayan financed the construction of a new boundary wall around the Muktinath shrine. And also constructed a monument in honor of the saint. Visiting this monument is one of your religious duties when you are at Muktinath Dham.

5. Sri Murthy Mahatma Darshan

Pilgrims to Muktinath Dham should not miss the opportunity to pay a Darshan to Lord Murthy Mahatma and his consort, Sri Devi Thayaar. A mention of these deities is made in the sacred compilation named Nalayira Divya Prabandham. This holy site lies in the vicinity of Jwala Devi Temple and is considered to be the home to all 5 elements; I.e. air, water, fire, earth, and sky that comprise life on earth.

Nearby Places

Also, the area around Muktinath is dotted with many other attractions which you may consider visiting during your Muktinath Dham Yatra. For instance, Muktinath Dham has seven renowned historical sites around it. These seven sites are as follows- Putak, Purang, Jhong, Jharkot, Chhokar, Khinga, and Ranipauwa. Pilgrims can consider visiting these sites to make a fascinating journey back in time. Also, there are numerous Buddhist Gompas and monasteries all around Muktinath Dham. Lighting a candle in any one of these Gompas will indeed be a soul-exhilarating experience. Also, you could go around exploring the spell-bounding landscape and embark on a trek along the course of River Kali Gandaki.