Why Muktinath Temple is a must-visit during your Religious Nepal Yatra

1. Why Muktinath Temple is a must-visit during your religious Nepal Yatra? While most of the people associate Nepal with beautiful treks and playful casinos, a very few are actually aware of the religious side of the country. Even though the famous Pashupatinath temple is almost synonymous with the place, the Muktinath Temple comes as a close second in the list of must-visit Hindu temples in Nepal. Regarded as a hidden secret among snow-capped mountain peaks in the Mustang district of Nepal, the temple holds a special significance for both Hindus and Buddhists alike and is known to boost the tourism of Nepal as well. The Muktinath Tour is already taken by thousands of pilgrims every year. The famous temple also finds a place in most of the lists of must-visit temples that one finds online. We give you 5 good reasons to visit the famous and ancient Muktinath Temple during your religious Nepal Yatra. Top 5 Reasons to visit the famous Muktinath Temple 1.Muktinath is regarded as the definitive temple of Liberation among the Hindus. The word ‘Muktinath’ is a Sanskrit word that splits into ‘Mukti’ meaning ‘Salvation’ and ‘Nath’ meaning ‘Lord’. As per a popular Hindu belief, the pilgrims must visit the temple at least once in their lifetime once they have done the famous Chardham Yatra of India. This relieves them permanently from the whirlpool of birth, death, and reincarnation. 2.Since the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the followers of Lord Vishnu also popularly known as Vaishnav in Hinduism hold the place in special reverence. The temple is sacred and is regarded among the 108 Divya Desam and also one among the eight holy sites that are popularly known as Swayam Vakta. The other seven are Badrinath, Tirupati, Pushkar, Srirangam, Totadri, Naimisharanya, and Srimushnam. 3.There are several major attractions inside the Muktinath Temple such as the 108 water spouts called the ‘Muktidhara’; the two water ponds called the ‘Kunda’; the ‘Jwalamai Temple’; ‘Gomba’ or the monastery dedicated to Guru Rimpoche. Each one of these has a clear religious significance for which they are holding an important part of the temple. 4.The famous Muktinath temple has an equally holy significance among the Buddhists who popularly call the temple ‘Chumig Gyatsa’ which stands for ‘Tibetan Hundred Waters’ in the language. The temple is considered significant for Dakinis also known as

2. the Sky Dancers and is regarded as one among the 24 tantric places. The Buddhists take up the famous Muktinath Tour to worship the main deity of the temple as Avalokitesvara. 5.The temple is located at an incredible altitude of 3710 meters, a beautiful location that is covered in the famous Annapurna Circuit trek. The Muktinath Tour takes one to Muktinath Valley which is a scenic, serene and calm place where one can find all the five elements earth, water, fire, air, and sky at one place. One can sit for hours and enjoy looking at the incredible Annapurna Range to the South and the Tibetan Plateau to the North. The visit to the temple gets completed by a hearty walk in nature. Apart from all the above attractions, another great thing that is quite exceptional about Muktinath Yatra is the fact that it is a single shrine that is worshipped and held in high reverence by two different religions—Hinduism and Buddhism. People of both Buddhist and Hindu community come to the temple to pray with equal faith and respect! Whether your journey to Nepal is a religious or an adventurous one, a visit to the famous Muktinath temple is a must!