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Album: By Country | By Date Nepal | June 2001 < Prev: Kagbeni to Multinath | Next: Mulktinath to Jomson to Pokhara >
Travelogue: By Country | By Date Nepal | June 2001  

June 2001 - Muktinath

Muktinath is a pilgrimage center for Buddhists and Hindus. We've seen sadhus headed here for the last few days. Beautiful views and lots of prayer wheels

This is the view from above the Muktinath temple - that's the green spot on the left. If you look carefully, you might be able to see mountains in the distance. This is, though you cannot tell it from the photo, one of the most spectacular views anywhere.
Maggie with porter baskets Offerings hung from trees around Muktinath temple. Muk Hindu tridents outside a Vishnu temple
Prayer flags are everywhere. Strung amidst the trees and partway up the slope, the flags give the place a cheerful, festive air. Some of the famous cow spouts. Muktinath is a place where water flows copiously from the earth AND there is, supposedly, a natural perpetual flame sustained by escaping natural gas. Bell More bells
A spot to mix pigments for bindi A shrine Top of a bell Statue clothed
The trident symbol of Vishnu and prayer flags usually connected with Buddhism Mountains in the distance Mark just sat in one place, looking at the mountains and the valley, for an hour. Maggie checked out the rocks and flowers
Monica chatted with a sadhu. Sadhus walk here, sometimes from southern India. We saw them on our trek and once had a little sermon about animal lust. This is hair in a bag, hanging from a tree. A pilgrim might make a tonsure vow and shave his head, depositing the hair here. Flags and trees Bells
Carved stones and horn Nunnery More prayer flags Flags at the top of a temple
One of the nandi water spouts. The bull, nandi, is a symbol of Shiva Prayer wheels, some made from milk tins Lama stones Another big prayer wheel
Loom for weaving the narrow strips of traditional cloth Loom in operation Maggie checking things out, so she can make her own loom at home