Sri Muktinath Shakthi Peeth Temple, Nepal

Address

Sri Muktinath Temple Muktinath-ChumigGyatsa Pilgrimage Site, Muktinath 33100, Nepal

Diety

Shakti: Gandaki Chandi Bhairava: Chakrapani Body part or ornament: Forehead

Introduction

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 3,800 m). Within Hinduism, it is known as MuktiKshetra, which literally means the ‘place of liberation’ (moksh) and is one of the Char Dham in Nepal.

Puranic Significance

The Shakti of Muktinath is addressed as “GandakiChandi”, and the Bhairava as “Chakrapani”. Sati Devi’s temple on the forehead is believed to have fallen there. ANOTHER STORY OF SATI: In Hindu mythology, the son of Brahma, King Prajapati Daksha had a daughter named Sati. Princess Sati grew up adoring the legends and tales of Shiva, and when finally her age of getting married came, she knew it was only the ascetic Lord Shiva of Kailash where her heart and soul resided. Soon enough, Daksha’s daughter left her father’s luxuries and palace and began her meditation to win Shiva’s heart.She performed intense penance in dense forests and renounced food completely. When she finally pleased Shiva through her austerities, the lord of Kailash appeared in front of her and agreed to marry her. The legend goes that Sati and Shiva were happy in their marital bliss, but their marriage had not gone down too well with King Daksha, who considered ascetic Shiva nothing short of an uncouth lad who lives a hermit’s life not worthy of his daughter. So when Daksha organized a great yajna, he invited all the deities, gods and sages–but consciously excluded his son-in-law Shiva to insult him. Hurt by her father’s decision, Sati decided to visit her father and demand the reason for not inviting them. When she entered Daksha’s palace, she was bombarded with insults directed towards the Shiva.Haughty and proud King Prajapati Daksha called him all sorts of names right from a dishevelled god who hung out in graveyard to the supposed ‘lord of the beasts’. Unable to bear anything against her husband, a devastated Goddess Sati threw herself in the glowing scared fire of yajna.When Shiva’s attendants informed him about the demise of his wife, he grew enraged and created Veerbhadra from a lock of his hair. Veerbhadra created havoc in Daksha’s palace and killed him.Meanwhile, mourning his beloved soulmate’s death, Shiva tenderly held Sati’s body and started his dance of destruction (taandav). To save the universe and bring back Shiva’s sanity, Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s lifeless body using Sudharshan Chakra into 51 pieces. These pieces fell on earth at various places and came to be known as Shakti Peeths. Mukthinath is one of the famous 51 Shakti Peethas on the globe. It is located at the banks of river Gandaki, Nepal.

Beliefs

People who have a bath in river GANDAKI is said to wash away their sins and attain salvation as the sacred SALIGRAM stones which are used to build lord Vishnu temple is present in river GANDAKI.If there is any unfulfilled desire or wish of an individual they will be fulfilled here once worshipped to GODDESS GANDAKI with devotion.Mukthinath is one of the famous 51 Shakti Peethas on the globe. It is located at the banks of river Gandaki, Nepal.