A sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists pilgrimage, Muktinath Temple. Situated at an altitude of 3,710 meters / 12,172 feet at the base of the Thorong La mountain pass in the Mustang district. The region nestled on the border Himalayas. A section mostly covered with naked mountains and deserted topography also called the cold desert mountain of Nepal. Muktinath derived from “Mukti” and “Nath”. “Mukti” means “Liberation or Nirvana” and “Nath” translates to “God or Master”. According to legends taking a holy bath in the 108 waterspouts of the temple and taking a dip in the freezing waters is regarded to cleanse all your sins and assist you in the path to liberation. Thus, thousands of visitors come to Muktinath every year.

According to Hinduism, the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu a deity also known as the “Lord of Liberation”. The Pagoda Style Temple is also one of 108 Vaishnava shrines and the holy shrine present in the sanctum. Said to have arisen on its own, and is one of eight such shrines. The Buddhist belief is that the great sage guru Rinpoche also known as Padmasambhava came to Muktinath and meditate here making it a holy site. From the temple, premises witness the grand view of the Tibetan plateau towards the north and the snow-covered Annapurna range towards the south and bask in the energy of the region.

The Muktinath Darshan Tour starts with a drive from Kathmandu to the city of lakes Pokhara. From Pokhara the following day catch a scenic flight to Jomsom. Upon arriving at a short drive takes you towards the Muktinath temple. At Muktinath explore the temple complex and head back to Jomsom. The next day catch a flight back to Pokhara and back to Kathmandu.

For all the travelers who are wanting to visit the Muktinath temple and have a short time period. Head on to this carefully crafted package with the Alpine Club of Himalaya.