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Reaching Gorakhpur

                    After finishing our dinner, we happened to peep into one of the tourist offices near  the hotel opposite to Railway station. There are many travel agents near the station who arrange for pilgrimage, mountaineering and sight seeing trips to Nepal. Out of inquisitiveness, we contacted Sai Baba Travels and finalized the  tour package for Rs.45,000/- including  the cab (Bolero hire charges) for 9 days, border permit and other road permits, room accommodation at Pokhara for 3 days, at Jomsom for 1 day, at Chitwan for a day, at Katmandu for a day ,at Janakpur for a day  and flight tickets from Pokhara to Jomsom for 4 persons  to and fro with a vegetarian driver who respects our values and  a visit to Manokaamna temple which is situated at Pokra-Katmandu-Chitwan junction. The package however did not include Jomsom-Muktinath expenses.  We were contended with the deal as for the same amount, we would be covering other places which was not offered by the Katmandu travel bureau agent. The agent  obliged  to our request and handed over letters to be given at the various hotels We were to check in. He had taken Rs.25,000 as advance (These agents have a tie up with their counterparts in Nepal and we realized that by checking in the hotels which they refer, we end up paying more but we are assured of accommodation.  Even in case of non-availability of rooms, the hotel management makes alternative arrangements for us elsewhere)   

 Gorakhpur to Pokra

                    Leaving  Gorakhpur  the next day morning  i.e: on 1^st October,2006 by BOLERO around 9 A.M.  After 90 kms , 2 hours drive, we reached Sunouli, the last village on the Indian border.  It took about an hour to finish all the formalities in the border by the agent who accompanied us upto Sunouli .  For Indians, the immigration is very simple. Few notes were exchanged for our remembrance but as were told that 100 rupee Indian currency is accepted everywhere in Nepal, we  didn’t have to change the currency.  Waiting  for  more than an hour under the scorching heat of Sun.  The mercury dipped at  45 degrees.  It was 12 noon by the time we crossed the Nepali border. As children were very keen to vist Lumbini and other picnic spots Adiyen had to compromise the yathirai out of academic interest. We  reached Lumbini , the birthplace of Lord Buddha at 1 P.M.  which is one hour drive from India-Nepal border and is situated 250 kms south-west of Katmandu. This is recognized as one of World’s Heritage and covers a vast area of over 970 sq. kms .   We visited the holy tank in which Mayadevi, Lord Buddha’s mother had a holy dip ,the Asoka pillar, several  monastries built by Chinese,Japanese, Koreans, Nepalese , Germans  and our own Vipaasana centres.  We engaged 2 rickshaws pulled by men for going round Lumbini for Rs.200/- INR .(It may be noted that Indian currencies of Rs.100/- are accepted all over Nepal and the vendors right from rickshaw-puller are experts in converting Nepali currency into Indian currency.  Rs.100 indian = Rs.160/- nepali currency). The architecture, sculptures, paintings at these monastries are a feast to the eyes.  The entire place is serene and calm and is a perfect place for meditation.

 In Pokra- Ticket dilemma

                From there, we proceeded to DEVI’S FALLS on the other side of the road.  The water from the falls joins the Phewa river.  This was discovered few decades ago  during a sudden gushing of water into the town. Bhairavi temple situated on the other side of Phewa lake has to be reached  by boat.  The charges for the boat ride is 20/- NR. It is a common practice in Nepal to apply Kumkum mixed with rice on the forehead during Dussera.  The tradition of kumkum with which Goddess Durga was worshipped for 8 days would be applied on brothers’ and sisters’ forehead for their longevityis practiced with pomp and show.  Every sister ensures to visit her brother and apply tikka.  After viewing sunset from the temple, we retired for the day. “WORLD PEACE” centre ‘s  Buddha Stupa situated on a hillock could not be visited  as we had to rush back to the travel agent for confirming our tickets  for  Saaligrama yaatrai  To our dismay, the tickets were not confirmed.  None of the agent could help us and we finally decided to approach Gorkha Airlines office itself situated opposite to Pokhara airport. Dussera is celebrated grandly all over the country and it is very common for offices to remain closed for atleast a week in Nepal similar to West Bengal.  Only Gorka Airlines provides service from Pokara to Jomsom. Added to this, due to bad weather conditions, all the flights to Jomsom were cancelled for more than a week.  Hence, there was no room for reservation.  All the efforts to contact travel agents proved futile.  Finally we personally drove to  Gorkha Airlines office  next day which is 2 kms from Pokra and after hours of pleading, we could finally get our tickets to Jomsom for 7^th but return journey for 9^th could not be confirmed as that would be decided at Jomsom and added that our journey  of Lord Muktinarayanan.  I take this opportunity to thank the airlines official for all their cooperation.  Alas, our 2 days tension finally came to an end.  The ticket costs Rs.15,000/- INR to and fro for 4 Persons.

Trip to Chitwan, Katmandu and Bhaktapur (Not part of Mukthinath pilgrimmage)

  Not preparing  for further exploitation, we left for Katmandu, which was another 5 hours drive. reached Katmandu at 7P.M.

                          Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is also called as Kantipur.  This city is full of temples. It lies in a valley surrounded by high hills. Magnificent snow peaks are visible in the north. This city is situated to the north of Patan and the west of Bhaktapur. The altitude of Kathmandu is 4500 ft from sea level .We  had intended to stay in ISKCON guest house at Katmandu but as there was no accommodation,  were forced to check in Hotel Taj (as recommended by the travel agent) and retired for the night.

Katmandu Sight seeing trip

                    On 5^th,  went for local sight seeing in Katmandu, visited various temples including the famous Pashupathinath temple. The temple of God Shiva is situated at the bank of the sacred Bagmati river. It is 5 Kilometers east from the Kathmandu city. This pagoda style temple built with golden roofs and silver doors is where thousands of devotees come to pay homage to God Pashupati Nath. Shivaratri is the holy day of religious festival of Hindu people. Pashupati Nath is the patron deity of Nepal. It was noon and midday abhishekam was going on.  Lord Shiva’s face with matted locks and Ganges escaping from the locks is beautifully carved on all five sides of the lingam.  Also, the garbagriham has doors on all four sides which enables the devotees to have darshan from all the four sides.

                     Our next point was Buddhanilkantha temple, 9 kms from Kathmandu city. The temple consists of a pond in which lies a great stone figure of Lord Vishnu reclining on the coils of a cosmic serpent. The huge statue of sleeping Vishnu lying on Ananta Sesa, in the cosmic ocean is very attractive . The Deity is over 1,000 years old. Lord Vishnu is about 5m (17 ft) long and is lying in a 13m (43 ft) long tank, as if floating, with His legs crossed. His four hands hold the four symbols of Vishnu: the chakra (disc), club, and conch-shell and lotus flower. Budhanilkantha literally means “old blue-throat.” Ananta has 11-hooded heads. It is believed that the deity was carved in the 7th or 8th century during the Licchavi period.  It is carved from the single block of black stone of a type not found in the valley. The main festival of the year is when Lord Vishnu, who sleeps on the cosmic ocean during Chaturmasya period wakes up on the Haribondhini Ekadashi day in late October or early November. Many thousands of people come on this day. Three other images of Lord Vishnu were carved at the same time. One is here at Budhanilkantha and is considered the most important and original, one is at Balaju Gardens, and one is at the old Royal Palace in Kathmandu, but can not be viewed by tourist. The king of Nepal is not allowed to see the deity at Budhanilkantha, but he can see the other two deities. It is believed if the king sees this deity of Vishnu he will die immediately. This  was lost for a while and was later rediscovered by a farmer. It is believed that the farmers struck the buried deity with his plough and that blood came out from the ground. The morning puja between 9 and 10 am is interesting. Budhanilkantha is about 8km northeast of Kathmandu and 15km from Thamel, at the base of Shivapuri hill. Buses to Budhanilkantha depart every half-hour from Rani Pokhari or the City bus stand (1 hr, bus #5, Rs 7) in Kathmandu. From where the bus stops the temple is around 100m away. Tempos depart from Jamal on the north side of Rani Pokhari to here. Iskcon took over the maintainence of the temple and grounds from about 1986-87. there is now even a guest house  Hindus can walk down the steps and touch His feet, but foreigners cannot.The ISKCON Temple is located about a ten-minute walk from the Budhanilkantha Temple, in a beautiful rural setting. Buses to Budhanilkantha (8 km) depart from Rani Pokhri in Kathmandu, every half-hour.

                        We then left to BOUDH NATH TEMPLE ,This  classical stupa located at Boudha in the north east of the Kathmandu city. This is considered to be one of the biggest stupas in the World. The stupa having four eyes in four directions is symbolized as watch for welfare and behaviour of human beings. It is said that the stupa was built by King Man Dev as per the advice given by goddess Main ogini. The Lamas of Nepal who are real devotees of Lord Buddha always dwell at the surrounding of the stupa.  Further moved to Soyambhu Nath Temple   situated at the hill side of Kathmandu city. It is at a distance of two miles from city. This stupa is made of a solid hemisphere of brick and earth. From this stupa one can see a beautiful view of Kathmandu city. From here  returned back in the evening and after a bit of last minute purchase like bags etc. for our Muktinath trip, retired for the night.

                The next day , 6^th Oct, we checked out around 8 A.M to visit Bhaktapur also known as Patan which has old monuments. One of the hotel attendants who accompanied us as  guide shared his info with us about Bhaktapur.  He said that earlier, this was the capital of the Nepali kings.  This place with all its monuments is worth seeing including “PACHPAN(55) WINDOW PALACE.  This place also houses a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna which is opened for public only once in a year on janmashtami.  All the monuments are in red colour.  Some other interesting monuments include  Hanuman Dhoka . King Pratap Malla, the lover of art and architecture, established the image of Hanuman (Monkey God) in the main gate of his palace. The Durbar (palace) Square, itself is named as Hanuman Dhoka (meaning  Hanuman gate). Within the Durbar Square, there is a three tiered pagoda style temple built by King Mahendra Malla in 1549 A.D. This temple of goddess, Talejubhawani, is on a big platform which is considered as one of the most magnificent temples in Nepal. In Hanuman Dhoka, there are plenty of things to be seen, as the dreaded figure of Kal Bhairab, (God of Destruction), coronation platform, statue of King Pratap Malla, Big Bell and drum. Within a short walking distance from Durbar Square, the temple of Akash Bhairab lies at Indra Chowk, the main market avenue of the Kathmandu city. The image of Akash Bhairab is displayed outside the temple for a week during the festival of  Indra Jatra.

Back in Pokra

Resumed our journey to Pokhara around 11 A.M. after dropping the guide at the hotel after paying him Rs.100/-INR.     En route , at the junction where one route goes to Chitwan and the other to Pokhara,  there is a famous temple known as “MANOKAAMNA MANDIR” – a temple dedicated to an amsam of Parvati. This temple is situated on top of a hill and has to be approached by ropeway. Similar temple is found in Rishikesh too.  A We were running short of time,  we didn’t alight  here and continued our journey to Pokara.  On reaching Pokhara at 1700 hours,  we approached Gorkha Airlines office regarding our return journey confirmation but got a negative reply. However, the manager Mr Rane  spoke to his counterpart in Jomsom and issued us REQUEST ticket. Our car driver suggested us to stay in Hotel Degchee  run by a Punjabi which was a better place to stay than Hotel Blue Heaven.  We were delighted to see few south Indians in a nearby hotel . The hotel incharge was very cordial and  seemed to have contact with Jomsom hotels, He made arrangement for our hotel stay in Jomsom and Muktinath, trekking permits, pony ride for children.   We learnt from him that there are different modes of transport to reach Muktinath from Jomsom.

• By walk  (Journey time  for us 9  hours)
• By pony ride (children travelled on pony and our luggages)
• By motor cycle (charge 2200 NR with 2 hours stay in Muktinath)* Though risky
• By tractor (depends upon the no. of passengers)@ time dependent and risky
• By Helicoptor (40 minute flight from Pokra/Jomsom) cost Rs 21,000 per person.
  

 Confusion at Pokra Airport

                    07/10/2006,:-  POurnami , the auspicious month of Purattasi. , finishing our morning prayers,  left for airport which is a 10 minute drive from the hotel.  Our flight was scheduled to depart at 8.30 A.M. (fifth flight). As mentioned earlier, Gorkha Airlines and Royal Nepal Air lines, run by Government  ,operates service for POKHARA-JOMSOM-POKHARA sector presently . For the record, Royal Nepal Airlines,  have only 1 or 2 flights operating ( Depending on their moods) is known to be the most unreliable airline in Nepal. Earlier private air lines like  Nikon Air, Buddha Air and Cosmic Airlines were also operating flights in Pokhara-Jomsom sector but withdrew the services due to loss incurred. The private airlines are more reliable in Nepal. Presently, only Gorkha Airlines operates in this sector with only one flight as the other one was down with some technical problem.  

                    As the services resumed only 2 days earlier after a gap of 10 days., heavy traffic both at Jomsom and POkhara had to be cleared.   To our dismay, we learnt that though it was nearly 9 A.M., the first trip itself did not take off due to fog.  Boarding pass were not issued to us because our names were in the 5^th trip.  The officials were doubtful because after 11 AM , usually flights cannot reach Jomsom due to heavy winds. Our hearts beat fast chanting Dwayam. We started reciting Vishnu Sahasranaamam in the airport  and prayed ardently to  Periya Thiruvadi and Siriya Thiruvadi for His intervention in reaching Lords abode .  We recollected elders say that this kshetram could be visited only if GOD desires to give HIS darshan to the devotee.  Adiyen recollected Thirumangai azhwar’s pasuram on Thirvengadam “PAAVAME SEIDU PAAVI AANEN” as tears rolled by uncontrollably unmindful of many eyes watching us.  Prayed sincerely to Lord Anjaneyar to come to our rescue and resolved to offer “VADA MAALA” at our Kushaiguda temple to Him on our return .

                    All of us  were excited when there was an announcement that the services would resume as the sky became clear.   Our turn to board the flight came at 11 A.M. Thanking the Lord, with tears rolling , we boarded the 20 seater propeller flight with window seats for everyone at 11 A.M . The craft started moving at 1115 hours. 18 passengers plus the flight attendant squeezed into these little seats. No overhead baggage compartment. Infact, we had to keep our baggages near our legs.  We were carrying camcorder, digicam with us to catch the beautiful sight of the snow clad mountains at close quarters.  The flight attendant passed out some sweets and cotton for people to plug their ears. The captain was still checking out the RPMs and until the flight took off, the anxiety was continuously increasing.  We sighed relief when the flight took off.   During our 20 minute fly, We were continuously chanting Govinda Naamam while admiring the aerial view of the valleys , rivers and mountains. 

                    The aircraft was flying amindst Himalayan mountains and We were so close to the mountains that we felt that we could touch them!!. The snow clad mountains were clearly visible and we guessed every mountain to be MOUnt Everest .  we later learnt that Mt.Everest was far from this place.  On the right of the aircraft we could view the white Himalayas, which stand like a great wall between Nepal and China. On the left are high mountains, but no snow. The weather was good and clear. I could even feel some heat on my feet. We were in this  little Dornier aircraft, skims craggy ridge tops and is often buffeted by mountain winds. Chanting Lords name continuously I slowly dared to see the propellers from the window panes . Strong winds come off the mountains at times, making it difficult or impossible to fly. A few years ago a flight crashed into the side of one of the mountains and it took them several days to find it. There were no survivors. The recent news of a helicopter crashing added to further fear though my wife and kids were relaxed and surrendered to Lords wish. Just 20 mins from Pokhara flying up the highest-deepest valley in the world, sometimes battling winds of 120 Mph (200 km+) as the clouds lift causing a kind of vacuum effect propelling winds.  The flight was moving amidst big mountains, taking sharp turns and is sure to instill fear in everyone but the Lord’s names on our lips drove out the fear in us.  We  were now flying  between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, two immense glacier covered peaks towering well above the airplane as we flew up the Gandaki river valley. Our lifetime mission was going to be achieved and were enthusiastic and prepared to face the worst situation, if any. We landed in Jomsom airport at 1140 hours .

Landed in Jomsom

                    We looked around the small airport  surrounded by mountains . We could see plenty of foreigners accompanying us . Jomsom is the base for trekking and  houses many lodges/hotels with internet facilities on either sides of the path. A serene place with cool breeze blowing . Apart from nurturing apple orchards, the other main occupation is tourist guidance.   Apples were available for Rs.6/- per kg. We took 3 kgs of apples.  Thanking Lord we briskly moved  and  located the hotel .  As assured, the incharge  had made all arrangements for our trip to Muktinath.  Annapurna trekking permit is a must and we had taken our pass port photographs with NR as fees for the same . 2 ponies with a guide were provided.  Baggages were tied to children’s ponies and myself accompanied by my wife started the holy trek to Muktinath at 12 noon.  While my wife and children were chanting I quickly  procured the Conversation Permit to go trekking in the area surrounding Annapurna Mountain  and understood the ponies were booked no doubt but were awaiting at the banks of gandaki river which is 20 mins trek . <>The security posts keep track of the number of persons  going and returning.  Similar check post would be found at the foot of the hillock on which the temple is located. After clearing the town of Jomsom which is modern , we headed out over the stony riverbed. 

Trekking begins

                Enthusiastically, we started walking down the narrow stony path and after about a mile, we reached the banks of Kali Gandaki where 2 ponies were made ready for us.  After sprinking the clear waters of Gandaki, children were made to sit on the ponies and baggages tied to it and were instructed to wait for us at Eklabhatti, the first settlement.  My children happily rode the horses chanting the Dhyana sloka as I advised them to sincerely pray and look in the river for holy Saalagramama silas .En route after offering oblations and sincere procrastinations to gandaki river I requested the horse man to help the children in looking for the Saalagramama  which he readily obliged.

                Apart from a set of change of clothes, we had taken pooja items, vastrams, dry fruits, etc to be offered to the Lord.  We had also taken some coffee powder, bournvita, milk powder and sugar and some pain killers.  Though we had taken enough medicines for fever, cold, pains , etc. along with first aid , by the grace of Lord, we didn’t have to really use anything until we returned to Secunderabad.   

                We found there was a path that skirted the riverbed, but we preferred to walk along the riverbed. As we walked along we started to notice the wind was picking up and the clouds were closing in from the mountains on either side of us.

               We were now in the Lower Mustang belt as per the Map . Mustang is an Anglicization of the Tibetan Lo Manthang, which is an autonomous region in north-central Nepal that borders on Tibet. The destination of our trek today was to reach Mukthinath by evening  . En route there is the village of Kagbeni ("Crow Confluence" in Nepali). The rocky highland stretching from Jomsom to Kagbeni--through which the Gandaki flows--is called Lower Mustang. Upper Mustang is where Damodar Kund is located, a lake that is the root source of all Saalagramam silas. We had to drop the idea  of going into Upper Mustang as expensive permits are required from the Nepali authorities . Formerly the Gandaki River Valley was the most important trade route between India and Tibet. It was controlled by the Buddhist kingdom of Lo Manthang, which was of Tibetan culture. But more than 200 years ago the Buddhist Raja of Lo Manthang allied with the Hindu Raja of Kathmandu in a war against Tibet. This is why the present region of Mustang (Lo Manthang), which is populated mostly by Buddhist people with Mongolian features, is part of Nepal and not Tibet (now fully controlled by Communist China). Now the trekking trail takes us away from the bank of the Gandaki for a while. I along with my wife started chanting  Shri Vishnu sahasranaamam , while my eyes were immersed in the beauty of Lords own little world far away from material and karmic vasanas. .   Few foreigners along with their guide walk briskly before us cheering NAMASTE … I feel their enthusiasm in trekking the mountains and truly with the protective wind shields, woolen socks, rock boots and body packs they were perfect mountaineers,  I avoided the trekking kit to tax my body in reaching Lords abode with a sincere vow as I did for Ahobilam and Tirumala. 

                    Surrounded by Annapurna mountains on one side and Dhaulagiri mountains on the other sides, a pleasant chilly breeze and Kali Gandaki flowing below, the picturesque beauty was feast to the body mind and soul.   Visualizing the Viraata Purusha in our mind’s eye  moving upwards, the path was narrowing and in some places, we came to the edge of the cliff. We had to slowly walk forward by holding hands. This was becoming more adventurous.  Crossing  many mountains on the way and the connecting path is  usually narrow.  It took about 2 hours for us to reach the first settlement EKLABHATTI.  At this point we are thankfully within sight of the town of Kagbeni. The trek through the valley involves is mostly flat and level. But the valley itself is some 2000 meters above sea level! Thus catching your breath is a problem, since there is less oxygen in the air than normal. As we descend from the bridge to the valley floor we meet a herd of incredibly nimble mountain goats. At the upper edgey we  can see Ekla Bhatti, the southern "suburb" of Kagbeni. Behind , the holy Gandaki flows on her way from Kagbeni, visible in the distance As the sun shines  over the Himalayan horizon, we see the blackish waters of the Gandaki from a higher altitude. I finally locate the sign board of Eklabatti where my children and the horseman are awaiting.

Beyond Eklabatti:

        The pony rider told us that from this place, there are 2 routes  – one towards Kagbeni and the other towards Khinga.  Kagbeni is a small developing village with staying facilities and people with sufficient time stay at kagbeni.    But as We were running short of time, we opted to  go via Khinga.  Further  trail to Muktinath carries us out of the Gandaki River Valley into the soaring mountain heights. This is not easy going. The air was thin to begin with, but now as we trudge ever-higher in the hot sun  and the decreasing oxygen becomes more and more of a problem. In less than half and hour, we look down upon Kagbeni as if from an airplane. We met a good number of trekkers along the Jomsom-Kagbeni-Muktinath path. Americans, Australians, Britishers, Europeans, and local Nepalese were moving in scattered numbers. The trail winds along the side of a steep valley formed by a white-water tributary that rushes down to meet the Gandaki at Kagbeni. In the cliffside opposite are many caves. The local Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns sometimes retire to these caves for meditation and austerity

                 Chanting loudly Lords names We   climb the steep slippery mountain for about half an hour .  The pony rider advised us not to look up or look down as it would instill fear in us we trek like sheep.  There is a very narrow path where one can put only one foot carefully .  Children were frightened to sit on the pony but having come half the way, they had no other choice but to keep their eyes tightly closed and pray to Lord.  We were passing thru a deserted place where there was no vegetation but only few mountain shrubs. We were literally gasping for breath.  Added to this, wind started blowing and it was becoming even more difficult to trek.  After climbing the steep mountain, we kept on walking on the narrow way for nearly an hour .  Suddenly the weather changed and it started drizzling.  We were unable to put a step further because it was slippery and the rains would make the road worse.  Added to that, there was no one in sight to help us in any adverse condition. Once again, our prayers to Lord did not go in vain. It stopped drizzling and there was only cool soft breeze. After 2 hours  of continuous trekking  we finally reached Khinga.  It was 4 PM in the evening.  The  milk powder, sugar, coffee and Bournvita which we had taken with us  came very handy.  We did not carry flask as hot water is available at the settlements.  We can also get some fast foods like noodles etc. though they are definitely costly but is worth it as we don’t have to carry unnecessary luggage.  The pony rider asked us to walk fast as it was getting dark but as we are not used to walking and as we wanted to enjoy the nature,  we did not do so.

                The trek from Khinga was not very difficult. In and around Khinga, we came across rich vegetation, and the dwellers in these places, polite by nature,  were seen knitting mufflers and other woolen products.  Apples were available in plenty , though a bit costly compared to Jomsom, we could get them for Rs.10/- per kg.  On the way, we had to cross few mountain streams while trekking which was refreshing.  It was becoming dark at 5 itself and by 6 P.M., we could not see anything.  We could hear wild dogs barking and as we exhausted  and were not prepared to face any adverse situation, we decided to stay overnight in the nearest settlement.  The inn-keeper charged Rs.300/- INR for 4 beds.  After finishing our supper(one roti costs 70 NR), we retired for the night.  The inn keeper cooked food without onions and garlic. Hot water was provided for everything by the homely inn keeper.   It was very very cold. Although short of breath, and having to stop every few hundred feet and rest, and although it took me 6 hours to get up there, I made it. Practically it was a miracle. Although I am sore tonight, I am not at all sorry that I went there and I'd gladly go again in the future

 Khinga to Jarkot

                            En route  we happened to see helipads.  Helicopters from Pokhara/Jomsom upto Muktinath  and back fly daily. During  peak season, the copter flies many times . Also, We were told that the weather conditions do not affect the copters much.  We happened to meet few Tamilians from South India who had come in package tours organized by travel agents in Chennai . It takes about 40 minutes to reach Muktinath from Pokara and  half an hour’s stay at Muktinath.   The package would cost 21000 INR . They however miss the thrill of trekking the holiest mountains.   This is safe for physically unfit and aged people.  On the way to the temple, on the left side, there is a Buddhist heritage where people offer prayers.  After A  few  Buddhist prayer wheels at the entrance to the Muktinath complex is visible  These revolving cylinders are a common sight in Nepal. They are inscribed with the Tibetan Buddhist mahamantra Om Mani Padme Hum--"Aum! The jewel in the lotus! Hail!" The jewel is the pure spirit soul and the lotus is the purified body of the true follower of Buddha's way. Tibetan Buddhist turn these prayer wheels to earn merit. Simply pushing on them to get them revolving is supposed to be as good as chanting the mantra as many times as the wheel then revolves.

 Reaching Mukthinath our final destination of this trip

                         Ascending few more steps, we finally reached our destination. There is huge bell hung in front of the gate.  Having passed through the entrance gate, we proceed to the complex's first shrine. Muktinath is sacred to both Vaisnavas and Buddhists.  My dream comes true. I along with my family members are very much in the 106^th Divyadesam   Lord Muktinath is, for Vaisnavas, Sri Padmapani (the form of Lord Visnu from whose lotus feet sacred waters flow). Tibetan Buddhists worship Him as Adi-Buddha. Lord Muktinath's form is manifest in brass. In bodily shape and posture He resembles the Yoga Narayana Deity Atop the hill behind the Muktinath Temple is a Buddhist shrine. 

  Jwala Mukhi

                    On the way back, we  visited  a  small thirumaligai  run by  a Srivaishnava, a disciple of Chinna Jeerswamy.  He greeted us warmly and offered us some herbal drink which would act as an anecdote against the cold weather.  Infact, despite our bath in icy cold water, none of us fell sick . When I was expressing my desire to collect Saalagramams, he immediately gave me 5 Saalagramams , out of which 2 were collected from Damodar Kund and one moorthi was receiving his upacharams daily reciting Acharyar dhaniyan and Thirupallandu.  After making few purchases of photos, chains etc we left the place .  We called up our parents , brothers, sisters from Muktinath who were elated to learn that we had very good darshan.  It was only due to our poorva janma sukrutam we could make this happen.

Back to Jomsom (Lost our way enroute)

 Jomsom to Pokra (Flight got cancelled)

                    We were thoroughly whisked by the security in the airport as we are not supposed to take saalagramams with us.  We hid the small saalagrams in different baggages and were ardently praying to the Lord to help us out of the situation but 2 big saalagramams which we wanted to gift to our Kushaiguda temple was retained by the authorities.  Tension was once again mounting as we had to go to Janakpur that night itself and reach Gorakpur on 10^th at any cost.  We were told that night journey to Janakpur is not advisable due to moists attacks which was very common in that route.  Even the car drivers resent to travel during night which meant that we had to cancel our Janakpur even if we got further delayed.

 Pokra to Janakpur

                        The cab driver whom we got used to address as “kaka” was waiting for us at the airport.  We rushed to the hotel where we had left our baggages and without losing any time, and  left the place to go to Janakpur.   Thanked  the Hotel manager and his brother-in-law for all his intervention and help.  But for him, it would have been impossible for us to go to Muktinath.  We decided that we offer our prayers to Sita Piratti .Taking clue from the fellow Nepalis we dashed into the cab with the available 24 hrs left . We traveled whole night and at 01.00 hrs we alighted at a thickly populated area and rested in a hut. At 5AM we resumed our journey to Janakpur which is located near Bihar border in Nepal is one of the most attractive tourist spots. 

 Janakpur to Gorakpur (Tension on Road)

                 Boarded Secunderabad-Gorakhpur Express at 0600 hours on the following morning, i.e. 11^th Oct,2006 and reached Secunderabad at 1830 hours the following day.  Thus ended our trip to Saalagramam.

                WE also visited Thiruvellikeni and thanked Sri Parthasarathy Perumal for successful completion of divya desa yaatrai as way back in 1998, we had prayed to this Perumal for visiting the divya desams. 

29th Sep 06        Left  Secunderabad to Gorakhpur by Secunderabad-Gorakhpur Express at 0800 hours
30th Sep 06        Reached Gorakhpur at 20.00 hours and took rest. Train dealyed
1st Oct 06           0900 hours left for Pokra via Lumbini (birth place of Buddha)
2nd Oct 06          In Pokra Local site seeing.
7th Oct 06           Pokra to Jomsom Left at 1100 hours and reached Jomsom at 1140 hours.

                            Trekking commeced at 1200 hours

                            Reached Ekalbhatti after two hours of trekking.
                           
                            Around 6 PM reached Khinga. Stayed in a settlement for the night. (Originally supporsed to reach Jarkot)

8th Oct 06            0530 hours left for Jarkot reached at 6.30 AM
                           
                              One hour further walk to Muktinath. Reached temple by 0900 hours

                               Left around 1100 hours trekking back to Jomsom. Reached Jomsom around 1900 hours

9th Oct 06            Left Jomsom to Pokra by helicoptor (flight got cancelled) 1600 hours to 1700 hours

                              Left for Janakapur from Pokra in the evening itself. Night stay in a hut enroute

10th Oct 06            Reached Janakpur 0800 hours. Left the temple by 0930 hours. Reached border at 1700 hours and Gorakhpur by 2300 hours.

11th Oct 06            Train to Secunderabad at 0600 hours.
12th Oct 06            Reached Secunderabad by 1830 hours.

In addition to this, since we had three days free from 2nd Oct due to non availability of flight tickets to Jomsom we had been to these places for children's educational purposes but not part of mukthinath pilgrimmage.

• Please book air tickets well in advance thru credit card via internet and insist for a fax copy.
• Only Gorkha Airlines provide services for Pokara-Jomsom-Pokhara sector for onward and return journey and they have only one propeller flight which makes 5-6 trips to and fro depending upon the weather conditions.
• Please ensure to book your tickets for the first flight/second flight  as after 11 A.M., there will not be any service due to strong winds in Jomsom.
• Please do not rely on travel agents for the flight tickets
• Avoid your journey during Dussera as almost all the offices are closed for atleast a week.  April-May, July-October are the ideal months for undertaking this yaatrai.  Last week of May and June are rainy season and it is not advisable to undertake yaatrai during this period. Mid- October to Feb is very cold.
• Last , but not the least, ONLY IMPLICIT FAITH IN THE LORD WILL MAKE THE TRIP SUCCESSFUL AGAINST ALL ODDS.
• Always schedule your trip in such a way that you have atleast 3 extra days as flight cancellation is very common.
• Temperature in Mukthinath was around 3 deg C. Yes it is very COLD. Ensure that you travel with proper winter clothing, trekking boots, medicines,milk powder, coffee powder,water Glucose, fruits etc.

Adiyen wishes to share sthalapuranam and some interesting facts about this divya desam which may be helpful for future pilgrims.

Saalagramamo Mahadevo
devi Dwaravati bhaved
Ubhayossangamo yatra
Muktisttattra na samsaya."

"To the north of the river, Gandaki (also called Narayani), and south of the Himalayas, there is the holy region of Saalagramama, which is ten yojanas extent, where Dwaravati merges into Saalagramama. Undoubtedly such a place is capable of vouchsafing Moksha." Actually, about 140 miles from Khatmandu is situated Muktimati or Muktikshetra, also called "Saalagramama-kshetra

Legend has it that once Bramha was exasperated at the rate of increase of the sinners among his creation. Then drops of sweat rolled down his cheeks (Ganda), ultimately collecting themselves into the form of a female child called "Gandaki." She took it into her head to do a severe penance which became so overwhelming that the Devas started trembling before her. As usual they offered her the bait of a boon on return for her stopping her penance, but they met a Tartar in her, for she wanted to mother all the Devas. Not having the power to grant such a boon, the Devas pleaded their inability, at which Gandaki became furious and cursed all the devas to be born as worms on the earth below. The Devas in their turn placed a countercurse on her head that she should become "Jada" or inert matter.
Naturally Bramha was concerned with this unexpected development. Unable to find a way out, he consulted Indra and Rudra. With them also he drew a blank. Finally, all the three turned to Vishnu, who said: "Inasmuch as the curses have been already pronounced, they cannot be revoked, and both parties affected must suffer them. The problem is how to make them work to their mutual and ultimately universal benefit."

   I told them there  are many aspects of this pilgrimage right from   going to the Holy Tirtha of Saalagramam high in the Himalayas; the challenge of one's faith, to be there and to find one's worshipful Lord; the material elements, and other various hardships - walking many miles/kilometres, high altitude, no food, the weather, the constant wind, wild animals, dacoits and theives, mundane trekkers, so many things.   We were trekking near the banks of Gandaki river. Which  rises beyond the Himalayan ranges, probably in Tibet, and flows (in the north-south direction) into Nepal, There is a lake at the source of the Kali-Gandaki , called Damodar-kunda on the Nepal . The lower Gandaki is well known as Mukti-natha-kshetra, also called Saligrama-kshetra. The sacred stones are largely found on the banks of Kali-gandaki near Tukche, between the two mountains Dhavala-giri and Annapurana. Damodara-Kunda is  considered as  Saivite place of pilgrimage by Nepalis. This is the punya kshetram where saligrama-stones are found within the Nepal territory. As advised by my father the children learnt the sloka  by heart  supposed to be chanted while we trek the route .The sloka  goes like this with meaning explained below

dheya sada savitra mandala madhya-varti---  naryanah sarasijasana sannivistah
    keyuravan makara kundalavan kiriti   --hari hiranmaya vapuh dhrita sankha cakrah

     Narayana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be meditated upon in the center of the sun globe. He is situated on a lotus flower and seated in the lotus posture. He is adorned with beautiful golden bracelets, amulets, earrings, necklace and a crown. He has the golden effulgence and is seen holding the pure white conch and Sudarshana cakra in His lotus hands. Oh wielder of the conch, disc, club, and other natural weapons, You are the Lord and resident of the spiritual realm. Oh indestructible one, protector of the worlds, oh lotus eyed Lord, please save all of us who have taken shelter of you and appear before us .

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS DIVYA DESAM:

• Muktinath in Nepal is an important pilgrimage site for Vaishnavites and Buddhists.
• It is one of the eight swayam vyakta kshetrams-out of this 4 are in southern India and 4 in Northern India.
• in Northern India, Perumal has manifested Himself in the form of forest at Naimisaranyam, as water in Pushkar, as mountain in Badri and as Fossils in Saalagramam whereas in rest of India, Perumal is in Archa form (Tirumala, Srirangam) ,
• The best season to visit is during March-April and during September to 1s week of October
• May to August is rainy season and is not advisable to go
• As a visit to this place bestows liberation, this kshetram is known as Mukthi kshetram and Perumal as MUKTHI NARAYANAN.
• The sthala mahatyam is mentioned in Skanda Purana, Varaha Purana, Padma Purana and Mahabharata. 
• As per Padma Puranam, a Brahmana who has undergone Pancha samskaram and has bath in Holy Gandaki and have Muktinarayanan’s darshanam, will be bestowed with liberation.

·         The significance of Saalagramama kshetra is vividly mentioned in Himavat kanda of Skanda Purana  wherein Lord Subramanya explains to Sage Agastya about this kshetram and its mahatyam.

·         In Varaha Purana, Lord Vishnu Himself explains to Bhoodevi about the importance of this kshetram and the various theerthams in Someswar, Harihar and Mukthinath kandas.

• This place is surrounded by two rivers- the Matsyangadi in the East and the Kali Gandaki in the West. 
• Kali Gandaki is famous for the shaligrama shilas as well as the world’s deepest gorge. 
• Due to intense meditation, Lord Vishnu started sweating from behind His ears.  This transformed into river and as it originated from Gandam (behind ear), she is known as Gandaki” river.

·         As all the major rivers in Northern India like Ganges, Yamuna, Saraswati are associated with Lord Vishnu, Gandaki river did severe penance and God granted her wish by residing on the banks of the river and thus made it holy.  Gandaki river is treated on par with Ganges.

·         The river Gandaki is a very ancient river; and the geologists say that it existed even before the formation of the Himalayan ranges. It rises beyond the Himalayan ranges, probably in Tibet, and flows (in the north-south direction) into Nepal. And for the reason, the river Gandaki became among all the rivers extraordinarily sacred Being a mystic river, looking at it, touching it, bathing in it and sipping its waters will be conductive to eliminate all sins, even the greatest of sins pertaining to the body, speech and mind. My soul danced with joy looking at the nature and being in Gods own world.

·         Varaha Purana mentions that Perumal conceded to Gandaki’s request to be born as her son and hence Perumal manifested Himself as salagrams in water.  Due to the Perumal’s presence, this has become the most sanctifying river and a dip in this frees one from all sins committed by thought, word and action in innumerable lifetimes, forefathers shall reach heaven and finally attain moksham.

·         Near to this place is Someshwar , a mountain which is the abode of Shiva where he has manifested himself as lingams

·         The vast tract of land through which the sacred Gandaki flows is known as Saalagramama kshetra. As this area was full of “sala” trees, it is known thus.

·         Lord Vishnu with all the demigods is present in the form of Saalagramams .  These Saalagramams are worshipped in all the major temples across the globe.

·         Tulasi, wife of the demon Sankhachoodan cursed Lord Vishnu to become a stone as the Lord as part of His divya leela , deceived her.  Hence, Lord has taken this form as this is an easier form of worship.   The bones of Sankachoodan who was killed by Lord Shiva turned into conches and Tulasi transformed herself into Gandaki river.  The tresses of Tulasi turned into Tulasi bushes.  As per Tulasi’s request, Lord conceded to remain as stone on the banks of Gandaki river.

·         Lord summoned the divine architect, Viswakarma to make different images of Him indicating Lords’ various manifestations and accordingly, Viswakarma transformed himself into vajrakreeta worm and made various signs inside the Saalagramamam stone with its sharp nails. 

·         The origin of these saligramams are at Damodar kund which is another 3 days trek from Muktinath and special trekking permit is required from Nepalese government as it is at a higher altitude.  These stones mingle with the Gandaki river which has its origin beyond Damodar Kund and gets deposited along the river side. Damodar kund is the place where Nalakuvera and Manigriva , the sons of Kubera who were redeemed from their curse by Lord Krishna as Damodara had bath as per Lords’ instructions and attained effulgent bodies. Hence, this kund is known as DAMODAR KUND.  Just by visiting and bathing in this , on attains the ability to achieve all his desired objectives and become a detached person even if he is a householder and will not be troubled by pleasure or pain.

·         Any fossil stone found on the banks of Gandaki river is deemed to be saligramam especially the ones with marks of discus are manifestations of the Supreme Lord, Sriman Narayanan.

·         As a householder may find it difficult to offer prayers by doing homa etc. daily as in earlier yugas, Perumal has manifested Himself in this form which does not require any purificatory rite.  The aaradhanai can be started directly and is very simple. Aaradhanai to Saalagramam  is to be done with tulasi leaves placed on conch and water to be poured on the saalagramam through the nose of the conch.

·         Any act at this place fetches manifold benefits on the doer

·         A 2 minute walk from the temple leads to Jwalamukhi, the place where Brahma did penance for universal welfare and he invoked Lord Vishnu in the form of water and Shiva in the form of fire and offered sacrificial butter and payasam.  All the demigods personally attended the sacrifice and accepted the offerings. The remnants of this yagnam which is in the form of soil near by is partaken by devotees as prasadam.

·         Brahma performed 3 types of yagas at this place-DRavya yagna (sacrifice with materials), gnana yagna (mental sacrifice-in the sacrificial fire of minds with the sacrified spatula of breath he meditated on the Supreme Lord Narayana and burnt the material contamination in the form of offerings.), upsasana yagna.

·         Any living being which dies in this place attains moksham.

·         AT a particular place between the temple and Jwalamukhi, one can hear the sound of Ganges flowing into the Patalalok.

·         In Varaha Purana, Lord Varaha mentions about the importance of various theerthas and the results of having bath in those many of which are in different locations on the mountain.  He also mentions about Someswhar, the abode of Lord Shiva and the benefits of worshipping Him.

·         Many devotees and rishis like Ambarisha, Pundareeka etc have attained liberation after visiting this place.

Saalagramam and its importance:

Ø       These are considered divine manifestations of Perumal and hence they don’t need any special consecration rituals to be performed.

Ø       There is no dosham to Saalagramams and even it is broken due to accident or naturally, the divinity is said to exist.

Ø       The water which was used for performing abhishekam to saalagramam bestows liberation to the person who drinks it knowingly or unknowingly.  This practice is followed even today in all Vaishnava house when a soul departs from a body.

Ø       Saaligrama aaradhanai is always to be done with conch and tulasi. 

Ø       In the  Skanda Purana, Skanda classifies the types of Saalagramam to Sage Agastya :-

·         LORD VARAHA:- two proportionate marks of discusses on the face of Saalagramam

·         LROD VASUDEVA:- white in colour, very attractive, 2 proportionate marks of discus

·         LORD PRADHYUMNA:- long, yellowish, with small marks of discus and with many faces (surfaces)

·         LORD ANIRUDDHA:- dark saalgiram with marks of three lines and a lotus

·         LORD NARAYANA:- dark with features of Anirddha and has a protruding navel with marks of discus.

·         LORD MATSYA:- saligramam with a depressed top and a bulge on both the sides

·         LORD KURMA:- very bright three faced Saalagramam with signs of either conches or discus

·         LORD NARASIMHA:- very bright brown coloured Saalagramam with signs of three lines and two different discus- only brahmachary should worship this.

·         LORD LAKSHMI NARASIMHA:- salagra with signs of two discusses to the left and hallow –this bestows both material pleasures and liberation.

·         LORD VAMANA:- meronish coloured Saalagramam in the shape of a globe with 5 lines

·         LORD BALARAMA:-a conch shaped, yellowish tinged Saalagramam with the marks of plough.

·         LORD RAMA:- a conch shaped, yellowish tinged Saalagramam with the marks of bow

·         LORD PARASURAMA:- a conch shaped, yellowish tinged Saalagramam with the marks of axe

·         LORD SUDARSHANA:- reddish flower like Saalagramama with a blackish discus

·         LORD DAMODARA”- big Saalagramam with sudarshana features and with signs of mace and discus to the left, a line on the right and narrowish in the middle with signs of discus.

·         LORD PARAMESTI:- Saalagramam with signs of white lotus and discus

·         LORD SRIDHARA:- yellowish black bud shaped Saalagramam with signs of two big discus on the back, five lines in the form of a mace and vanamala

·         LORD TRIVIKRAMA:- bright dark coloured Saalagramam with signs of kadamba flower going from bottom to top on both sides

·         LORD HAYAGRIVA:- green tinged Saalagramam with manyhallows and signs of hook shaped discus and a line of knowledge

·         LORD GADADHARA:- saligram with 3 lines and any three signs

·         LORD ANANTA:- saligram with many faces and signs of many bows clubbed together in the form of a serpent

SRI SRIDEVI NAYIKA SAMETHA SRI SRIMOORTHY PARABRAHMANE NAMAH:

In Peria Thirumozhi, Thirumangai Azhwar has dedicated 10 songs to this divya desam.  In the pasurams, Azhwar advises his mind to go to Saalgramam and pray to Perumal who

as Sri Ramar  , humiliated Soorpanaka and killed Ravana thus emerging victorious in the battle,

as Sri Krishnar who killed Putanai, ate butter,

as Vamanan who approached Bali Chakravarthy and by asking for 3 feet land measured the 7 universes,  ,

as Sri Narasimhar who pierced Hiranya kasapu’s heart,

as the Lord whose expansions are the Sun, Moon, Ether, Mountains, Oceans, fire and who is the Preserver of the Universe,

as the Lord who redeemed Shiva from his curse who was roaming with kapalam in his hand due to brahma hathi dosham committed by him. 

He adds that Perumal who is residing at Thiruooragam(in Kanchipuram), as Perumal who is in half-reclining posture at Thirukudanthai (Kumbakonam), as Adi Ranganathar residing on the banks of Kaveri at Thiruppernagar (near Thiruchy),  the Lord with innumerable myriad names (sahasra naamam) is in Saalagramam.  He says that all the demigods, vaishanavas, brahmanas rishis offer prayers to this Lord who is residing in the mountain  which is decorated with varieties of flowers where the honey bees sing sweetly after sucking the honey from the flowers, where the lakes are filled with lotus and fish who happily jump about.  In the set of 10 pasurams, Azhwar advises his mind to go to Saalagramam and offer obeisance to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sriman Narayanan.  He further advises to either continuously recite the innumerable names of the Lord or recite the 10 pasurams on this Perumal.

Periazhwar  has composed 2 pasurams on this divya desam .  In pasuram 206, he  narrates that Krishna who stole butter from the gopikas’ house is residing at Saalagramam.  In pasuram 399, while composing hymn on Perumal at Kandum Ennum Kadinagar (Thirupiridi divya desam popularly known as Jyotir Mutt enroute to Badrinath), he recollects Perumal at Sri Vaikuntam, Saalagramam,Dwaraka,Ayodhya, Mathura and Badrinath and says that He is the same Lord who is residing at Thirupiridhi.

In Nut shell 

Saalagramam, one of the vada naadu divya desams is the only one which is situated outside India in Nepal.  This divya desam is located in the Annapurna ranges of the Himalayas. Saalagramam is at a higher altitude about 2200 feet more compared to Badrinath which is at 10, 200 feet .

HOW TO APPROACH:-

1.      BY AIR:-  from Delhi/Varanasi/Kolkatta to Katmandu and from there to Muktinath via Pokhara and Jomsom

2.      BY ROAD:- reach Gorakpur (Uttar Pradesh) directly or from Varanasi/Lucknow take bus/cab to Gorakhpur (3 hrs journey)- from there to Sunouli, the last Indian village on the Indian border, cross the border, go to Pokhara via Bhairawa

3.      BY ROAD: from Patna (in Bihar) to Raxaul (the last Indian village ) to Pokhara from Bhirgunj

4.      BY ROAD:- from Darjeeling/ Siliguri (assam) to Pokhara via Kakarbhitta

Ø      LUMBINI:- the birthplace of Buddha; monastries, holy pond etc.

Ø      Katmandu,( the capital of Nepal)- Pashupathinath temple dedicated to Shiva,. ,Buddhanilakanta temple (Maha Vishnu), Harey Krishna (ISKCON),Buddhist stupas in Katmandu, Bhaktapur (Pataan), Lord Krishna temple and Durbar Square in Bhaktapur

Ø      POKHARA:- Gupteswar cave, Devi’s falls, Phewa Lake, Macchapure mountain, Manokaamna temple dedicated to Goddess (between Katmandu and Pokhara)

Ø      CHITWAN:- by pass road from Manokaamna temple – jungle for rare species of wild animals (this is near Bihar border)

Ø      JOMSOM:- base for Muktinath

Since Shiva is the ruling deity of Nepal, there is a belief that pilgrims must visit Pashupathinath temple in Katmandu before proceeding to Muktinath .  Similar belief in Badri too.  One has to first go to Kedarnath or atleast offer worship to Kedareshwar before entering the main temple in Badrinath.