Muktinath Temple

Muktinath, at about 3,800 m on the slopes below the Thorong La pass in Mustang, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Himalaya. Hindus revere it as Mukti Kshetra (place of liberation) and one of the eight most sacred shrines of Vishnu; Tibetan Buddhists know it as Chumig Gyatsa, 'hundred waters'.

The site has been a pilgrimage destination for well over a millennium, lying on an ancient trans-Himalayan trade and pilgrimage route. Its shared Hindu-Buddhist veneration reflects centuries of cultural exchange across the Mustang region.

Muktinath is one of the rare sites holy to two great religions simultaneously. Pilgrims bathe under its 108 spouts and in two sacred pools as an act of purification, and the natural gas flames burning beside spring water are revered as a manifestation of the elements.

The central pagoda-style temple of Vishnu (Muktinath) is set in a walled courtyard where 108 bull-headed bronze spouts pour glacier-fed water in an arc. Nearby stands the Jwala Mai gompa, where natural flames burn over water and earth.

Current condition: Active; accessible by road and trek, popular year-round

Managed by a local committee; high-altitude weathering and rising visitor numbers are the main conservation concerns.