PHOTOGRAPHS: Photographs captured during MUKTINATH TEMPLE visit

Muktinath is a Vishnu temple, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. It is located in Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass in Mustang, Nepal. It is one of the world's highest temples (altitude 3800 m.). Within Hinduism, it is one of the 108 Divya Desams and is the only Divya Desam located outside India. It is known as Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "liberation arena" and is one of the Char Dham in Nepal.

This temple is considered to be 106th of the 108 Divya Desam considered sacred by the Sri Vaishnava sect. Its ancient name in Sri Vaishnava literature is Thiru Saligramam. The Gandaki river, which flows nearby, is considered to be the only source of the Saligram shila, the non anthropomorphic representation of Vishnu.

Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means "Hundred Waters". For Tibetan Buddhists, Muktinath is an important place of dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers, and one of the 24 Tantric places. They understand the murti to be a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.

The temple is small. The murti is made of gold and has the size of a man. The parakaram had 108 bull faces through which which water is poured. The sacred water that flows in 108 pipes around the temple complex denotes the sacred Pushkarini waters from the 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams, where devotees take their sacred bath even in freezing temperatures.

Photographs captured during Muktinath Temple visit

Beautiful view from Tatopani, on the way to Muktinath Temple

Rupse Falls

Rupse Falls is a waterfall in central Nepal, located in Myagdi District and it is approximately 110 km from Pokhara and approximately 40.8 km from Jomsom. It located in the Beni - Jomsom Highway. It is 300 meters (984 feet) tall. It has tremendous beauty around it.