Muktinath: A voyage to nature’s paradise

Yuba Nath Lamsal

'Wow' was the word that came out spontaneously from everyone I spoke to about Muktinath voyage. While some appreciated it as a 'must visit' holy shrine, many extolled for its picturesque ambience, a nature’s bliss. Whatever the logic, Muktinath voyage is definitely worth undertaking.

Most Nepalese visit Muktinath for religious purpose and foreigners for adventure and cultural study. But to this scribe, the purpose of Muktinath visit was both religious and adventure. By political conviction, I am a firmed Marxist. But I am a believer. Karl Marx has said ‘religion is opium’. It is not known in which context Marx had to say this. Religion is faith that guides a person to righteousness and common good. When religion is used as a tool to create hatred, conflict and tension, it not only becomes opium but deadly venom that kills the very spirit of religion and humanity. I do not belong to this breed but take the religion as a means to enrich one’s own personal and spiritual strength and capability and also to motivate for the service to humanity.

I am a Hindu by default. I happened to be born to parents who belonged to Hindu faith. Hinduism is not the religion of my choice but inherited from parents. I was, therefore, brought up in Hindu culture. But I am not Hindu fundamentalist. I am a sanatani, who believes that all religions were created for common good and welfare of humanity. I respect all religions. As a Hindu I have visited temples and practiced Hinduism but not in a way fundamentalists do. I have also visited churches, congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses and also mosques. I have found all holy shrines of all faiths solemn, serene, soothing and tranquil, whether it is Hindu temple, Buddhist shrine, mosque or synagogue. In the abode of deity, visitor finds himself or herself pigmy and helpless creature, who is always demanding from the Almighty.

I had exactly the same feelings in Muktinath. Situated on the lap of glittering Nilgiri of the majestic Himalayan range at the altitude of 12,300 feet, Muktinath is a sacred shrine of both Hindus and Buddhists. This holy place is a perfect example of how Hindu and Buddhist believers share a common shrine and a common deity but with different name. In today’s world marked by communal tensions and conflict, Muktinath should serve as a message of genuine religious and communal harmony. People of both Hindu and Buddhist faiths respect the deity with equal faith.

While the place is known as Muktinath for Hindus, it is known as Chuming Gyatsa for Buddhists. Chuming Gyatsa means hundred waters as it has 105 holy water spouts. Another version in Buddhism says that Chuming Gyatsa is an abode of Dakinis (fairy goddesses who dance in the sky). According to Tibetan Buddhism, Chuming Gyatsa is one of the 24 holy places, which Padmasambhava and other Tibetan Buddhist gurus chose to meditate on various occasions. However, Chuming Gyatsa (Muktinath) is Padmasambhava’s most preferred place because of its serenity and tranquility. The statue of Padmasambhava in Narsing monastery, close to Muktinath Temple, is its proof.

The holy shrine is known as Muktinath for Hindus. Mukti means salvation and Nath denotes master or God. This is the temple of god of salvation. It is believed that once a person takes bath in water from one hundred and five spouts and takes dip in the two holy ponds situated within the premises of the temple, all sins one has committed in his/her lifetime would be washed off. Hindus believe that one has to begin religious pilgrimage from visiting Muktinath. Hindu believers believe that pilgrimage to anywhere in the world would be meaningless, if one does not visit Muktinath. It is, therefore, a must visit pilgrimage for Hindus as they believe that doors of heaven would be closed for anyone who does not make pilgrimage to Muktinath once in his/her lifetime.

Muktinath is said to be the source of holy Kaligandaki River, although some believe that the origin of Kali Gandaki is Damodar Kunda, a glacial pond further north of Muktinath. According to Hindu mythology, having been cursed by a woman called Brinda, wife of Jalandar, for violating her chastity, Lord Vishnu turned into stone in the form of Saligram, dark black stone, in the areas close to Muktinath. This story is well illustrated in Swasthani Bratakatha, which says Lord Vishnu, unable to defeat Jalandar who was armed with the power of his wife’s chastity, through other means disguised as her husband and seduced her. Having come to know the truth, Brinda cursed Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was turned into the dark black stone and remained in area little further from Muktinath for certain period because of Brinda’s curse. Saligram is worshiped by Hindus as an incarnation Lord Vishnu, God of preservation. It is believed that Lord Vishnu created holy water in Muktinath to wash the curse of Brinda. The water of the 105 taps and two ponds in the premise of Muktinath temple is believed to have been created by Lord Vishnu for his salvation from the woman’s curse. Having washed off the sin by taking bath in the water fountains and ponds of Muktinath, Lord Vishnu created fire, Jwalamai, to warm up the body. A flame of fire has been continuously and constantly been flashing in Jwalamai, Goddess of Fire, a few meter south-west of Muktinath. Since Lord Vishnu got salvation from the curse, the place was later named as the salvation area. Muktinath Temple was built in exactly the same area where 105 water spouts and holy ponds are situated. After the creation of water and fire, a human settlement was established in this area. The human settlement in and around Muktinath area is one of the oldest civilizations of Nepal. The caves, buildings and artifacts found in upper Mustang, are the evident of the ancient and prosperous Mustang civilization of Nepal.

Muktinath is, indeed, a mystical and enchanting place from cultural and nature's point of view. The religious belief and nature’s bounties are what have made Muktinath a center of attraction for visitors. Tens of thousands people visit this place every year. As a result, tourism has become a mainstay of Mustang’s economy and people’s livelihood.

Muktinath is a must visit place. It used to be a difficult choice to visit Muktinath. Until a few years ago, air transport was the only mode of transportation. One who could not afford for costly air fare from Pokhara to Jomsom, he or she had to make a long and arduous trek, perhaps about ten days from Pokhara to Muktinath. After Pokhara-Baglung Highway was constructed, the voyage to Muktinath became much easier as it took only three days’ walk to reach Muktinath from Beni of Myagdi district. Now it has become further easy as road connectivity has reached Muktinath. One can directly fly to Jomsom from Pokhara or take a bus ride from Kathmandu to Beni and from Beni to Jomsom, the headquarters of Mustang district. In Jomsom, local jeeps are available, which can be hired to reach up to Muktinath via Kagbeni, confluence of Kag River and Kaligandaki. The nature’s beauty is so enchanting that one feels to be on the lap of nature that make you forget all your hardship and pain you endured during your voyage to this natural and divine place. Muktinath is divine place and paradise of nature, which makes your voyage much adventurous and enchanting.