The mystique of Muktinath

For Vasihnavites, it figures among the 108 Divya desams. For Buddhists, it is the sacred place of the Sky Dancers and the presiding deity embodies all the Buddhas. 

Muktinath shrine is also known as Sri Saligramam. It is one of the eight natural ( svayam ) and sacred shrines. The name Saligramam is derived from the fact that hundreds of naturally formed saligramams (black stones), in the form of Vishnu’s avatars and manifestations such His conch, chakra are found all along the river Gandaki. 

Legend has it that when the Padmanabhaswamy Temple was constructed in Thiruvananthapuram, the king is said to have sought saligramam stones from the Nepali ruler, who obliged by despatching 12,000 saligramams via elephants. The 12,000 saligramams were carefully laid on the ground, atop which the idol of Padmanabhaswamy was installed. A visit to Padmanabhaswamy temple is equivalent to praying in 1,000 temples. Even an individual home, with 12 saligramams in it becomes a temple, which is why devotees try and bring back as many saligramams as are permitted. 

Muktinath is not the easiest place to visit. On the contrary, it is a huge challenge. Situated at an altitude of 3,700 metres, in the foothills of Thorong hills (part of the Himalayas), it is accessible only on a few days during the season, which is between April and mid-July, depending upon the weather conditions in the Himalayan country. In the olden days, a trip to Muktinath took years to complete and was fraught with risks. 

However, today it is well connected by air. People can fly from Kathmandu, or travel by road to Pokhara and from there, take another flight to Jomsom. Even during the sunniest of days, one cannot be sure of making the trip to Jomsom (on small chartered flights) due to the unpredictable weather conditions, and should be ready to wait for a couple of days if necessary for the weather to clear. From Jomsom, one can travel by jeep and then ride a two-wheeler to the temple. Those who are extremely fit, trek to Muktinath. Whichever mode one chooses, one has to acquire the necessary permit from Nepali authorities to visit Muktinath. The challenges in the journey to Muktinath should never weigh on one’s mind. Instead, one should view the entire experience as symbolising life’s ups and downs. At critical moments in life, God gives us the strength to focus on a single objective, where all other thoughts vanish. Similar should be one’s mind-set while visiting Muktinath. One should focus only on the presiding deity Mukti Narayana Murthy. Many devotes chant Periyazhwar’s pasuram, “Saligramam udaya Nambi ”, as well as those penned by Thirumangai Azhwar, while reaching the temple after an adventurous trip. 

THE TEMPLE: Before entering the temple, one should bathe in the holy water spouting from 108 cow-faced water spouts all along the temple. If one bathes in these waters, one will receive the benefit equivalent to visiting 108 divya kshetrams. 

The temple is a pristine one and the presiding deity, in gold, is flanked by Sree Devi and Bhoo Devi. Usually, a priestess will preside in the temple, and one can get as close to the deity as one desires. The temple tower over the sanctum sanctorum is also of gold. One can pray at one’s pace here, and make offerings according to one’s desire.