Muktinath
Nepal · Gandaki · 3760 m
Description
Muktinath (मुक्तिनाथ) stands at about 3,760 metres in Mustang and is one of the few places in the Himalaya sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. Pilgrims bathe under 108 bull-headed water spouts set into a wall behind the main temple, and next door at Jwala Mai a small natural gas seep burns as an eternal flame above spring water. The setting is a high desert on the Tibetan side of the range, treeless and wind-scoured, with Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri filling the sky. The Kali Gandaki cuts down through this landscape in what is often described as the deepest gorge on earth, and its riverbed yields the ammonite fossils that Hindus revere as shaligram. South along the valley lie the walled village of Kagbeni and Marpha, known for its apple orchards and brandy, while the restricted kingdom of Upper Mustang and its capital Lo Manthang begin to the north.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 3 to 15 days (optimal 10 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Muktinath Temple
- 108 Sacred Water Spouts (Muktidhara)
- Jwala Mai Temple with the Eternal Flame
- Muktinath Pilgrimage
- Kali Gandaki Gorge
- Jomsom
- Kagbeni Village
- Kag Chode Thupten Samphel Ling Monastery in Kagbeni
- Marpha Village
- Marpha Apple Orchards and Apple Brandy
- Shaligram Fossils of the Kali Gandaki
- Jharkot Village and Fortress Monastery
- Dhumba Lake
- Jhong Cave near Thini
- Ranipauwa
- Thorong La Pass (5,416 m)
- Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri Panorama
- Mustang Eco Museum in Jomsom
- Lubra Bon Village
- Rupse Waterfall
- Titi Lake near Lete
- Tatopani Hot Springs
- Trans-Himalayan High Desert Landscape
- Upper Mustang Trek to Lo Manthang(Multi-day trip)
- Lo Manthang Walled City(Multi-day trip)
- Royal Palace of Lo Manthang(Multi-day trip)
- Thubchen, Jampa and Chode Monasteries in Lo Manthang(Multi-day trip)
- Chhoser Sky Caves (Jhong Sky Cave)(Multi-day trip)
- Ghar Gompa(Multi-day trip)
- Tsarang Village with Dzong and Gompa(Multi-day trip)
- Nyphu and Garphu Cliff Monasteries(Multi-day trip)
- Tiji Festival in Lo Manthang (May)(Multi-day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- JMO