Muktinath: 108 spouts, an eternal flame, and two religions
One of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Himalaya, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike, and now reachable by jeep in a day from Jomsom.
By Prakash Tamang · 6 min read · Updated 1 August 2026
Muktinath sits at about 3,760 m in the Kali Gandaki valley, on the Tibetan side of the Himalaya, and it matters enormously to two religions that do not usually share a site.
Hindus know it as Mukti Kshetra, the place of liberation, and one of the 108 Divya Desams sacred to Vishnu. Buddhists know it as Chumig Gyatsa, the hundred waters, and associate it with Padmasambhava, who is said to have meditated here.
Most people arriving now are pilgrims, many of them from India, and many by jeep rather than on foot. If you trek in, you will be a minority — which is worth understanding before you arrive.
What is actually there
The main temple is a modest pagoda holding a Vishnu image. Behind it, in an arc along a wall, are 108 water spouts fed by glacial melt, each cast as a cow's head. Pilgrims bathe under all of them in sequence, in water that is a few degrees above freezing at 3,760 m.
Nearby, at Jwala Mai, a small natural gas flame burns beside spring water. Fire and water together in one place is what made this site sacred long before either religion formalised it, and it is still the most striking thing there.
There is also a Buddhist gompa on the site, and nuns and Hindu priests share the complex without apparent difficulty. That coexistence is itself part of what people come to see.
Getting there
Three ways. Walk up the Kali Gandaki from Beni or Tatopani over about eight days, which is the Jomsom and Muktinath trek and by far the best version. Walk over Thorong La from Manang, which is the Annapurna Circuit arriving from the other side. Or drive — a jeep road now runs from Jomsom to just below the temple.
The jeep option is why the site is so busy now, and it is good news: it makes the pilgrimage accessible to elderly and unwell people for whom it would otherwise be impossible. Watching an eighty-year-old complete something they have wanted their whole life is worth the crowd.
You can also fly Pokhara to Jomsom and drive up, which makes Muktinath a two or three day trip rather than a two-week one. The flight is weather-dependent and cancels often.
Shaligram, and the river
The Kali Gandaki is the only place in the world where shaligram are found — black ammonite fossils, remnants of the Tethys Sea that existed before India collided with Asia and pushed these mountains up.
Hindus regard them as aniconic representations of Vishnu, and pilgrims collect them from the riverbed. There is something quite remarkable about a sacred object that is also direct physical evidence of the geological event that created the valley it is found in. Export rules around them exist and change. Ask before you pocket one and certainly before you try to fly home with a bagful.
Being a respectful visitor
This is a working pilgrimage site, not a monument. People around you are completing something that may have taken them years to arrange.
Do not photograph people bathing at the spouts. Walk clockwise around the temple and the gompa. Remove shoes where others do. Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees.
The inner sanctum of the main temple is generally restricted to Hindus, as at Pashupatinath. Nobody will be rude about it; just do not push.
When to go
The site is open year-round and the busiest pilgrimage season is the warmer months, which coincides with monsoon — and because Muktinath is in the rain shadow, that works.
October and November give the clearest air and the best mountain views, with fewer pilgrims than high summer. Winter is cold, quiet and beautiful, and snow can close the road above Jomsom for spells.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Do I have to be religious to visit?
No, and plenty of trekkers pass through as part of the Circuit or the Jomsom route. Behave as you would at any active place of worship and you will be welcome.
How long does it take from Pokhara?
Two to three days if you fly or drive to Jomsom and go up by jeep. Eight days if you walk the Kali Gandaki, which we would recommend if you have the time.
Is the altitude a problem?
3,760 m is high enough to matter if you fly or drive straight up from Pokhara at 800 m. Take it slowly on arrival, drink plenty, and do not plan anything strenuous on the first afternoon.
Can elderly relatives make the trip?
Yes, by jeep, and many do — this is a large part of who visits now. Tell us about mobility and health and we will plan the altitude gain carefully rather than driving straight up.
Do people really bathe under all 108 spouts?
Many do, quickly. The water is glacial melt at 3,760 m. Watching is entirely acceptable.
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