Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in Nepal-1 at 3:00 AM

Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in Nepal

Shiva Parvati Mandir, Muktinadh, Nepal

     

The Shiva Parvati Mandir with Shiva, the god of generation and destruction, and his consort mountain-goddess Parvati. This temple is the only temple at Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa which is purely Hindu. It is surrounded by four smaller temples. Clockwise at the front left the temple of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe; behind it the temple of Rama, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu; next to it the temple of Krishna, the eighth reincarnation of Vishnu and finally at the right the temple of Ganesh, son of Shiva and Parvati and the god of knowledge, wisdom & literature.


This is in Nepal
There is a Siva's temple.
The path is difficult.
But if you want Mukti,-
If you want Muktinath,-
The path becomes very easy.

O Lord Siva! O Muktinath!
Thou art the one Brahman
Without a second.
Thou art the destroyer
Of three Tapaas.
I take refuge in Thee.
Thou art the Father and Mother

  Brief Introduction to Muktinath

Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a sacred place for both Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists at 3750 meters (12,300 feet) at the Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas of Nepal. It is a great example of how two religions can share the same holy spot with mutual respect and support.
Attributes
In Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa all the elements are represented, not only earth, air and holy water, but also fire. Beside trees are growing at an unusual altitude. For this and reasons unseen yogis from both religions do their meditation at Muktinath

Padmasambhava & Dakinis
The local name for Muktinath is Chumig Gyatsa (Hundred Waters). The tradional caretakers of Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa are the Tibetan Buddhist Chumig Gyatsa ('Muktinath') nuns with the head of the Gye Lhaki Dung as their abbot. This family is popularly know as the Lama Domar family, an unbroken lineage of Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma lamas from Muktinath Valley, which has Chumig Gyatsa as its religious seat for centuries

The current abbot of Chumig Gyatsa is Muktinath Lama Wangyal.


For Tibetan Buddhists Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers. It is of great importance for Buddhists that Chumig Gyatsa is one of the 24 Tantric places. Padmasambhava plus the Mahasiddhas blessed it with their visit. The famous Tibetan yogi Shabkar visted Muktinath in 1818 and stayed for several days to 'connect to the place', as his autobiography tells us. The Padmasambhava Statue in Narsingh Gompa can be considered the most holy object together with the Chenrezig statue.

This is a very brief enumeration. More information on Buddhist backgrounds - for instance on the natural fire - can be found in the pilgrimage guide "The Clear Mirror", written down by the late abbot of Chumig Gyatsa, Muktinath Lama Jampal Rabgyé Rinpoche.

Lord Vishnu & Shalagramas
For Hindus, beside the natural fire representing Brahma and the holy waters, the central meaning of the Muktinath area is the veneration of the god Vishnu in the form of ammonites (shilas) called Salagrama-Shilas.
There are many stories which tell of Vishnu turning into stone and all of them are closely connected to the holy Kali Gandaki River. This river, also known as the Salagrami, is a few hours walking from Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa.

The building in 1815 of the Buddhist-Hindu temple of Vishnu and Chenrezig at Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa was initiated by the Nepali Queen Subarna Prabha who considered Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa Salagrama.

Salagrama
The Purana legends (300-1000 AD) mention Salagrama being the most holy spot connected to the Gandaki River. Salagrama is one of The 108 Temples & Celestial Abodes of Vishnu referred by the Tamil hymns of the Alwars of the 1st millennium CE. Although the veneration of Vishnu is central nowadays, there is also a connection with Krishna as well as with Shiva.

 More Information on Muktinath
For more information, please, have a look at the Muktinath menu on the top of this page. In the Picture Album you can find pictures of Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa with Hindu and Buddhist backgrounds. The MFI Map of Muktinath shows the compound with its temples. This site contains also a satellite picture of the Gandaki area.
At the website PyramidKey.Com, Susan Griffith-Jones' blog 'The Living Pyramid'. provides backgrounds on Muktinanth. See parts 8-13 in particular. As an introductio

Picture of the intererior of the Vishnu/Lokeswar temple, shared by both Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists. In the centre Vishnu/Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) flanked by the Hindu godesses Laksmi and Sarasvati , the two Dakinis (non-human manifestations of the enlightened mind in female form) mentioned in the Clear Mirror quoted below.

In front the idol there is a statue of Garuda or Khuyng. In Hinduism the bird Guruda is the mount of Vishnu. The Khyung is a protective spirit in Tibetan Buddhism, mountain and clan deity, and a tutelary figure of lamas and spirit-mediums; the bird which serves as messenger of Mahakala (wrathful aspect of Avalokitesvara).

In the past, the central, main figure and the two dakinis to his right and left, were self-arisen statues, made of copper. They resided in the region of Dzum-lang but saw that their benefit for sentient beings would take place in Chumig Gyatsa. They flew through the air and arrived here. The king of Dzum-lang searched everywhere for them and heard that they were located at Chumig Gyatsa. To bring them back to his country, he came with a strong army of his subjects. As they carried the statues back to their previous home, they reached as far as Drak-zur [literally, Cliff-Corner, the point after which Chumig Gyatsa can no longer be seen]. They managed to carry the statues no further and had to put them on the ground. Then the king, his sons, and subjects were unable by any means to lift the statues again. Unable to do anything else, the king brought the statues back to their new home and enlarged its location. He then returned to his country.
From that time forth, when people from Dzum-lang visit this place on pilgrimage, they cry to the statue, complaining, "Since you no longer live among us, we have to undergo great hardships crossing a river on our way here." This custom continues to the present day.
The 'burning water' (natural gas coming through a water stream while brunring) inside the Fire Gompa represents the union of the opposite elements. Some Hindus interpret them as a gift from Brahma, who is said to have made offering here by setting the water afire. Other Hindus at the site mentioned they belief it's a manifestation of Brahma. Others mentioned that it is Agni, the fire-God or Jwala Mai, the goddess of fire.

Outwardly, it is the lord-protectors of the three kinds of beings.
The fire from water is All-Seeing One (Chenrézi);
The fire from earth is Gentle Splendor (Manjushri);
And the fire from stone is Lord of Secrets (Vajrapani).
Inwardly, the three poisonous obscuring emotions are burned:
Fire burn in the water of purified desire;
Fire burns in the earth of purified anger;
And fire burns in the stone of purified stupidity.
Secretly, this is the non-dual union of the male and female deities:
Fire burns in the water of transcendent knowledge;
Fire burns in the earth of skilful means;
And fire burns stably within the stone of union.

Statue of one of the most influential philosophers of India, Sripad Ramanujacarya Maharaja (1017-1137 AD) in a corner of the entrance building of the Vishnu-Chenrezig temple.

After a long pilgrimage through India, Sri Ramanuja founded centres to spread devotion to Vishnu and Lakshmi. He provided an intellectual basis for the practice of bhakti (devotion) in major commentaries on the Vedas, the Brahma-sutras, and the Bhagavadgita. He was a major figure in the school of Visistadvaita, which emphasized the need for the soul to be united with a personal god.

 Picture of the intererior of the Vishnu/Lokeswar temple, shared by both Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists. In the centre Vishnu/Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) flanked by the Hindu godesses Laksmi and Sarasvati , the two Dakinis (non-human manifestations of the enlightened mind in female form) mentioned in the Clear Mirror quoted below.

In front the idol there is a statue of Garuda or Khuyng. In Hinduism the bird Guruda is the mount of Vishnu. The Khyung is a protective spirit in Tibetan Buddhism, mountain and clan deity, and a tutelary figure of lamas and spirit-mediums; the bird which serves as messenger of Mahakala (wrathful aspect of Avalokitesvara).

In the past, the central, main figure and the two dakinis to his right and left, were self-arisen statues, made of copper. They resided in the region of Dzum-lang but saw that their benefit for sentient beings would take place in Chumig Gyatsa. They flew through the air and arrived here. The king of Dzum-lang searched everywhere for them and heard that they were located at Chumig Gyatsa. To bring them back to his country, he came with a strong army of his subjects. As they carried the statues back to their previous home, they reached as far as Drak-zur [literally, Cliff-Corner, the point after which Chumig Gyatsa can no longer be seen]. They managed to carry the statues no further and had to put them on the ground. Then the king, his sons, and subjects were unable by any means to lift the statues again. Unable to do anything else, the king brought the statues back to their new home and enlarged its location. He then returned to his country.
From that time forth, when people from Dzum-lang visit this place on pilgrimage, they cry to the statue, complaining, "Since you no longer live among us, we have to undergo great hardships crossing a river on our way here." This custom continues to the present day.

 

At the back of the main temple one can find 100 water streams (Chumig Gyatsa) with taps in the shape of boars' heads, one of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu.

According to Tibetan Buddhism in the distant past, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) visited this holy place accompanied by 84 Siddhas. In order to leave something behind, they each poked a stick into the ground. Miraculously, from those 84 holes, 84 springs of water came out from the ground. This water is therefore believed to be blessed holy water, it tasts both sweet and cooling.

Hindus consider that the holy water of Muktinath can wash away negative karma, the results of one's past negative actions. Others say this can only be done by the inner water to be found by meditation. Water and pilgrimage are no doubt connected. Pilgrimage in Sanskrit is tirthra (river ford) or tirtha-yatra (journey to a river ford).

The place has been repaired several times.
The first Shangpa Rinpoche repaired the spouts in Chumig Gyatsa during his time. The wall with the spouts was renovated in 1990.
At the next picture one can see how the spouts looked in 1956

Salagrama-Shila

"When seeing a Srimurti, do not even see the image itself, but see the spiritual model of the image and you are a pure theist. Idolatry and Srimurti worship are two different things!"
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura

Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa & Salagrama
The area around the Gandaki river is just a few hours walking from Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa and is connected to the veneration of Vishnu in the form of stones, called Salagrama Shilas (or Silas).
It is said the most beautiful ones can be found at this river at Salagrama, a place which is also connected to Krishna as can be read in this small article.

Traveling to Muktinath

Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a holy place for both Buddhists and Hindus on the Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas of Nepal. To know more about the background of Muktinath, you can have a look at the picture gallery or browse through the "Muktinath" menu item above. The information on this page is based on the feedback of visitors to this web site; our own experience and information we get from the local people we have contact with.

How do I go to Muktinath? Apart from walking to Muktinath all the way, there are many ways one can travel, depending on time and budget.

Basically the trip can be divided in two parts: from Kathmandu* to Jomsom, and from Jomsom to Muktinath.
There is no direct flight from Kathmandu to Jomsom. Travelling by airplane one has to fly to Pokhara, stay over one night and then take the early morning flight to Jomsom.
From Kathmandu to Jomsom you can:
1. Go by bus to Pokhara, then the next day by plane to Jomsom.
2. Go by plane to Jomsom.
3. Do the 6-day trek to Jomsom, starting from Pokhara.
4. Take a helicopter.
Starting from Jomsom you can:
1. Walk to Kagbeni to Jhargot to Muktinath in about 5-7 hours total.
2. Go by a local rented horse in about the same time.
3. Go on the back seat of a local rented motor bike or by jeep plus driver.
Can I travel to Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa safely by myself?
Yes, if you are physically and mentally healthy, both men and women alike, up till quite a high age, can travel to Muktinath on their own and travel quite comfortably and safely. Recently new roads have been made and it is even possible now to go by motor bike, jeep or small bus from Jomsom to Muktinath. ** See for a very nice impression of the road from Muktinath to Kagbeni v.v. the 360 cities site.

Travel Warnings
None.
What is the best time to travel?
When you are not familair with the local situation, we recommend not to hike to Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa during the raining season (June, July, August and the beginning of September) because of the possibility of landslides. Due to bad weather also there is a great chance plains do not fly from Pokhara to Jomson and back for days. Taking a helicopter can be the alternative.
In November and February it can be cold, but you can travel. December and January are for the die hards.

Do I need a guide?
If people ask us if a guide is needed, the answer is a bit difficult to give. To find your way you do not need a guide, but, of course, you might consider it more convenient to travel together. Beside by hiring a guide you provide income for a Nepalese family.
Do I need a permit to travel to Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa?
Yes, unless you are from Nepal or India you need to obtain two documents which allow you to travel to Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa. Best is to ask a local travel agency in Kathmandu to arange it for you. It saves you time. (See the bottom of this page.)
Can I continue my trip after my arrival by airplane at Jomsom immediately?
When you arrive at Jomsom by airplane you are at 2,800 meters while you came from Pokhara at 800 meters (Kathmandu is at 1,500 meters). Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is at 3,800 meters. So, you have to be aware that you can get (severe) high altitude sickness when you continue your trip to Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa and stay near in Ranipauwa (3,700 m.) or Jhargot (3,400 m.) for a night without adjusting to the hight.

Basically there are three options:
1) After arrival early morning at Jomsom you can go up and down from Jomsom to Muktinath by jeep in one day. Or you go up bij jeep and walk 4-5 hours back to Jomsom the same day.
2) If you plan otherwise and arrive at Jomsom by airplane from Pokhara, we strongly recommend that you stay one night in Jomsom in order to prevent high altitude sickness instead of going to Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa and staying nearby in Ranipauwa (which sometimes, due to signs with 'Muktinath' in this small town, mistakenly is called Muktinath as well) the very same day you arrive by flight.
3) Alternatively, after arrival by plane at Jomsom, you can walk for three hours and stay at Kagbeni for a night at 2,900 meters.

When choosing option 2 or 3, after visiting Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa sleeping at Jharhot is best (which is 30-45 minutes walking down).

Please, download this PDF file for more information on the risks involved if you ignore the above advice. The Himalayas and hurry really do do not mix. Actually that might be the very reason why you want to go there, indeed. :-)
Where can I buy bus tickets, and can I do this at the last minute?
The bus tickets can be bought at any travel agency in Nepal. Last-minute bookings are most of the time no problem. Cost for the 6-hour bus drive to Pokhara is between 250-900 NPR, or 3-13 USD.
The road is OK, and officials at government road blocks prevent the drivers of trucks and buses from going too fast by noting down there arrival time at each road block. The cheap local buses to Pokhara always have bad tires and are often run by junior drivers. You can feel comfortable travelling with a tourist bus to Pokhara though. Having said this, travelling by bus in Nepal is less save than flying.
And how about the plane tickets for Jomsom?
For non locals the plane tickets to Jomsom cost about 130 USD for a single trip from Kathmandu to Jomsom and about half of this amount from Pokhara to Jomsom. That is, if you are not from Nepal. For locals the prices are much cheaper for good reasons. Make sure you take an early flight.  Every day, between 10 and 11 a.m., it starts to be very windy in Jomsom. The planes need to arrive before that time. If the departure of a plane is delayed, it can be cancelled for that reason. So take the early flight at 7 or 8 a.m., and even with some delay the flight will not be cancelled.
Due to bad weather flights from Pokhara to Jomsom can be cancelled, sometimes for several days in a row, especially during the rain season.

Lodging
Along the route to Muktinath you'll find enough guesthouses to eat and sleep. If a local guesthouse is fine for you, you do not need to make arrangements up front. The beds are clean and the food is good. Hot showers and electricity are available during part of the day. Costs per night are about 200-500 NPR for a local guesthouse and 40 USD or more for a hotel. Food per day in a local guesthouse is about 500-700 NPR per person for three meals, including tea or coffee. Enough room is available. For Hindu pilgrims there are also free Dharamsalas.
Does it make sense to use a travel agency to make all arrangements?
Yes, no doubt this could make sense. If you are not used to travelling in Asia, or if you are feeling insecure about things, a good travel agency will make the difference between a relaxed journey and a journey full of worries. Besides, when you travel in a group of more than three persons you must make sure you make reservations not only for bus and plane, but also for the guesthouses you want to stay at. One person can always find a place to sleep. With a group - more than two persons - it can be difficult (to stay together in the same place). In that case you could consider to ask a travel agent to make the bookings up front.
Still more questions?
As a charity we have not the information of a travel agency. Also, we do not want to promote any specific travel agency and by doing so harming the interests of other agencies. So, for further questions on travelling to Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa, please, kindly contact a travel agency in Kathmandu or Pokhara of your own choice. The Nepal Tourism Board can help you with making that choice. We hope for your understanding.

The pilgrimage site Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is located at 3,750 meters at the Annapurna trekking circuit in the Himalayas of Nepal

Books on Muktinath

MFI Books to Be Published
The MFI is preparing two books on Muktinath. One book, with the title "Hundred Waters", will be a book for the main public. The other book will be a collection of (updated) scientific articles on Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa. We hope to publish this book in 2009 by Brill Academic Publishers. The managing editors are Dr. Ramesh Dhungel and MFI President André Kalden. Due to the amount of new results of research and current lack of funds for the MFI Knowledge Base Project, the books will not be published before 2009.

Muktinath Culture, published by The Institute for Himalayan Conservation (IHC) in 1998. 64 pages; 16,5 cm x. 26,5 cm. Translation of the original Nepali Muktinat kshetrako samskriti with a short foreword by the anthropologist Dr. Charles Ramble. It covers a wide spectrum of subjects relating to Muktinath and the villages in Muktinath Valley, with b&w pictures and drawings. Unfortunately, there is no mention of specific sources used. Available in book-shops in Kathmandu, Nepal only.

Muktinath: Himalayan Pilgrimage, A Cultural & Historical Guide by Don Messerschmidt. Published by Sahayogi Press in Kathmandu, 1992. 79 pages; 14 x 19,5 cm. Based on Messerschmidt's study of the Hindu aspects of Muktinath as a pilgrimage destination, which was published in 1981. It is the result of field research and anthropological analysis. The study is presented in two parts: the cultural geography of pilgrimage and the social process. It contains a glossary, ten pages of notes, and a comprehensive bibliography, with b&w photos taken by the author.

Kailash - A Journal of Himalayan Studies: Places of Pilgrimage in Thag (Thakkhola), by David Snellgrove and Tshampa Ngawang of Drumpa. Published by Ratna Pustak Bhandar, Bhotahity, Kathmandu, Nepal in 1979 (Vol. 7, No. 2). 101 pages (69-170); 18,3 cm x 24,1 cm.
This issue of Kailash describes the Tibetan-Buddhist pilgrimage sites along the Gandaki River from the former kingdom Thag up till Lo Monthang in the former kingdom Mustang. The translated texts (Eng.) are based on three 17 th- early 18 th century Tibetan Buddhist manuscripts: The Record of the Five Representative Treasures; A Description of Chumig Gyatsa, the Place of Promendade Self-Produced, Ku-tsab-ter-nga, the Great Mount Muli(...) and Record of Chumig Gyatsa.
(Out of print.)  

The Clear Mirror
A Pilgrimage Guide to the Major Sacred Place
Chumig Gyatsa (One Hundred Springs)
By Jampal Rabgyé Rinpoche

Translated from Tibetan into English by Ngawang Zangpo and offered by him to Muktinath Lama Wangyal in the year of the Iron Snake, 2128 (2001 AD).
© 2001-2002 Muktinath Foundation International

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                             

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )