Trek day 12 – rest day in Muktinah

Today would be a rest day in Muktinah… much needed after the long day yesterday.  We met up with Yves, Rahel, Phil and Lara who also made it to Muktinah yesterday (they started in High Camp and hike faster than us!).

Now at lower elevation, the flies were back (here on the shaded side of our morning pot of coffee)

 

Apple crumble… a rare treat.

 

Muktinah Shrines

A short walk from our lodge is the religious site of Gompa Sambha and Shiva Temple… for both Hindus and Buddhists this is the Nepal Himalaya’s most important pilgrimage site.  We happened to be there during a religious festival of sorts, so the complex was quite busy.  They were very accepting of Westerners (many know nothing of the trekking routes close by and perhaps assume that we are there for the festival as well)… many Westerners and non-Westerners were ok taking pictures of the festivities.  In fact, we seemed to be part of the spectacle, and on a few occasions, Jen and I were asked to pose with Indian/ Nepalese family members in front of the shrines.

 

 

 

One of the focal points of the complex is a pool with 108 (108 is a sacred number in Tibetan Buddhism) brass waterspouts in the shape of cow heads.

 

 

Religious pilgrims walking through the 108 sacred water spouts.

 

 

Remnants of offerings and burned incense around one of the temples.

 

 

 

Pilgrims collecting water from the sacred spouts… this water is said to bring health and happiness.  We learned that it is often bottled and brought home hundreds of miles to ailing family members.

 

 

 

 

We learned that Hindu pilgrims dressed in orange are ascetic sadhus who make the trek to Muktinah carrying little more than a blanket and a trident (a symbol of Shiva).  It is common (for locals and visitors) to give these pilgrims a few rupees or a handful of rice (you can see their pile of rice in front of them).  Most sadhus began their pilgrimage hundreds of miles away in southern India.

 

That ain’t tobacco he’s smoking!

 

 

 

 

After a day off from the backpacks, the six of us had a celebration dinner of Yak steak… a bit tough but very tasty… reminded me of buffalo meat.