Muktinath, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists

From Jomsom we drive about 1.5 hours up the Kali Gandaki and then east through Kagbeni towards the head of the Muktinath valley. The road climbs past the old village of Jharkot, with its fortress ruins and monastery, to Ranipauwa, the pilgrim settlement just below the temple. The last stretch to the shrine is a 15 to 20 minute walk up a stone path or a short ride, and our guide keeps the pace slow because the altitude, 3,710 m, is felt by most people here.

For Hindus, Muktinath is a Vishnu temple and one of the 108 Divya Desam shrines, a place of liberation, while Buddhists honour it as Chumig Gyatsa, linked to Guru Rinpoche. The small pagoda temple stands inside a walled compound; behind it 108 bull-headed spouts pour icy water, and devout pilgrims run beneath all of them. Nearby, in the Jwala Mai shrine, a small natural gas flame burns beside a spring, the meeting of fire and water that gives the place its power.

Indian pilgrims make up most visitors, especially from April to June and in September and October, and the courtyard can be crowded in late morning. We arrive early, take our time, and leave space for prayer or quiet. Non-Hindus are welcome in the compound and to watch the rituals. Remove shoes before the inner shrine, and ask before photographing worshippers. On the way back we stop at Jharkot for tea and a walk through its lanes, then return to Jomsom before the wind picks up.